Charles Mason Jr.

CHARLES MASON JR.

Iowa City

Dr. Charles Miles Mason Jr., 86, of Iowa City, died early Monday morning, June 9, 2014, in his sleep at the Pleasantview Home in Kalona. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, June 13, at The River Community Church with Pastor Gail Mitchell officiating. Burial to follow at Memory Gardens Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the church.

In lieu of flowers, a

memorial fund has been

established in Charlie's memory.

Online condolences may be sent for his family through the web at www.

gayandciha.com.

Dr. Mason was born Sept. 13, 1927, in Muscatine, Iowa, the firstborn of Charles M. Sr. and Florence Mason. He met his wife, Beverly C. Bagge while they both attended the University of

Iowa. They were married Nov. 18, 1951, in Fonda,

Iowa.

Charlie was a first-team, all-state basketball player, who had a scholarship to play at the University of Iowa. He played at Iowa from 1945 to 1949 and was leading scorer his senior year, named MVP by his teammates and coaching staff and made second team all Big Ten conference. He also competed in track, golf, football and baseball in high school, with an offer from the Boston Red Sox to play baseball for its organization. He was inducted into the Iowa Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991.

He had been commissioned as a second lieutenant in the ROTC program at Iowa in June 1948. After graduating from the

university, Charlie was a math teacher and the basketball coach at Oskaloosa. After coaching there for three years and obtaining his master's degree from

Iowa, he went into the Air Force as a first lieutenant and spent two years as a training officer at Scott Air Force Base in Missouri. He returned to Oskaloosa as a teacher, coach and athletic

director from 1954 to 1958. Oskaloosa won its only basketball championship in his last year as coach. He returned to the University of Iowa in 1959 as the school's first director of student financial aid. He continued his own academic work and received his Ph.D in educational administration in 1962 and remained as the head of student financial aid. He later served 30 years as administrative dean of the graduate school at Iowa.

Charlie was on the board of directors of the University of Iowa Community Credit Union for 30 years, serving as chair for three of those years. He belonged to The River Church (formerly Bethany Baptist Church) where he served many years on the deacon board, taught the college and career Sunday school class and then the adult Sunday school class for over 20 years. He sang in duets, quartets and choirs. He enjoyed watching all Hawkeye sports, as well as the Cubs.

Surviving are his wife, Beverly Mason of Iowa City; son, Jeff Mason and wife Ann of Iowa City; daughter, Julie Prihoda and husband Dr. Matt of Washington; son, Jim Mason and wife Jorja of Iowa City; nine grandchildren, Luke Prihoda, Chelsea Mason, Jordan Prihoda, Callyn Mason, Kyle Mason, Sean Prihoda, Natalie Mason, Michaela Prihoda and Mollie Mason; and a sister, Marilyn Howard of Muscatine.

Charlie was preceded in death by his parents.

Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service is caring for Charlie's family and his services.