Obituaries

In loving memory of Trevor Lance Masson who sadly passed away on 20th July 2015, in his sleep, aged 86.
He stayed up to see Australia level the series for the Ashes..
Loved and loving husband to June (dec.), beloved father and father-in-law of Martin and Kerry, Anne, Andrew and Karen, Colin and Suzanne, and Helen. Adored Pa to David, James, Paul, Luke, Lucy, Elle and Derek. Our grateful thanks to Howard for his guidance and help over the years.
Thanks also to the staff of Arcare Brighton for their loving care of Trevor.
‘‘His Mum always called him her little Treasure (Trevor) He will be treasured always’’

Eulogy given at Trevor's Service..

Dad
Where do you start..
A life time of Memories, Love, and Experiences.

I know you all have your own memories of Trevor, some probably from what was to be a short phone call, or meeting to something about an hour or two later finally being able to tear yourself away.
Dad had the gift of the gab.. He could talk under water, or wet cement.. And always could make a short story as long as possible..

Trevor Lance was born on 25 March 1929 to Florence and George William Masson, younger brother to Richard George (Dick).
He went to Loyd Street Primary School and then onto Caulfield Grammar.
His early days were spent in the East Malvern area, and During the depression, Trevor's father George, who was a fiery old bugger, as Dad would say, walked out of a paid government job, at the Commonwealth Limb factory when the Foreman said that wages were to be halved.
George, to keep the family going then took on the General store at Clyde/Lyndhurst, just south of Berwick, today its an outer suburb of Melbourne back then it was a day or two horse and carriage ride..
Dick and Trevor spent their days helping their parents count and clean eggs, and spent their time on a local farm with a young couple Norm and Dory, in the Clyde area. I think this is where he gained his love of farming well hobby farming in his later life.

Dad, valued everything, he told us as kids, the usual stories of when he was growing up, as parents do.. And as kids you'd listen, but not really take much notice, not until you are considerably older, that you would reflect on what these tales were..
The milk man, the ice man, the baker would make daily or every other day deliveries to homes, and to earn a few bob, Trevor would be out with a shovel and bucket to follow the horse drawn carts to collect the horse fresh manure, and he would then go round to the neighbours to sell as a rose fertiliser.
To maximise his return on his investment he said he would stir the manure to fluff it up, so he could spread more of it around the neighbourhood..
I'm not sure if this was fact or something akin to bovine fertiliser.., that's another story Trevor had, however I digress..

The Second World War enveloped the globe, and Dick was conscripted as an aircraft instrument mechanic and was posted to the pacific.

I'm not certain when but George, Florance and Trevor moved from East Malvern to a new home at 1286 Dandenong Road Murrumbeena.

Trevor finished his education at Caulfield Grammar, and upon leaving school gained employment as a junior teller with the English Scottish & Australia Chartered Bank Ltd, The ES&A in Collins Street Melbourne. He quickly learnt to not only handle money and balance the money draw at the end of the day but also to value it, probably from his earlier enterprise into garden fertiliser.
In 1948 he joined East Malvern Lodge No334, following his father and brother into Freemasonry, which became a major part of his life.

Upon the safe return from service in the Pacific, Richard - Dick, got together with his Dad, George, and decided to open George W Masson & Son Pty Ltd, Othopaedic and Surgical Instrument Makers in Little Collins St Melbourne to support the Melbourne Hospitals, general public, polio survivors and workers compo cases with orthopaedic braces and appliances.

The business grew and they moved and expanded their manufacturing to a factory on Victoria Parade Collingwood. In the 1950s. Trevor with his experience in banking, and financial services was asked to join His father and brother in the growing family business, which became George W Masson & Sons..

With a good job, Trevor also enjoyed his recreation time and cross county and down hill skiing with weekends away at Hotham and Falls Creek, carrying their gear in for a weekend of skiing. One of the group, was a young lady by the name of June Leegow.

Well in 1957 they were married at St John's Anglican Church, Finch Street, East Malvern and settled at 20 Blackwood Street Murrumbeena.
In February of 1958 a son, Martin.. Followed by Anne, Andrew, Colin, and Helen. The family was complete Mum Dad and 5 kids..

Times were good, Trevor pursued his love of a county getaway, and in the 1960s bought a farm at Garfield at the edge of the Bunyip Flats in Gippsland. We would head there every weekend as a family to chase the cows, play in the sheds and hay, fly brown paper kits that dad would make and spend hours getting to fly with a rag cloth tail to get the balance right.
Regrettably a local who had come onto the farm, jump several fences, and drowned in the dam. After a police investigation, mum and dad decided that they needed to leave the area and bought a new farm at Red Hill on the Mornington peninsula. Valley View..
We spent every weekend, school holidays, and Christmas's at Red Hill, chasing the cows, sheep, and helping Dad fix the fences, and learning the value of the land.
The 1967 Bush fires burned the house down at Valley View, and a year or so later, Trevor bought a larger farm area further up Red Hill. Tumbywood.. More land, Fantastic views of the bay, but those bloddy hills... well it keep him, and us kid fit, chasing the cows and in later years the goats..

In 1972 with the family growing and needing more room, mum & dad, moved house to 337 Glenferrie Road Malvern, being the family home for over 40 years.

Dad always said he may not have been able to give us Kids much in life, other than a good education. But Trevor's view of education wasn't only just Text Books and Class Rooms.
As part of our education mum and dad took us kids on holiday, mainly cruises way before they become the total holiday experience that they are today.
It was easier to park us on a boat and let the world move under us, than move the family, until we were big enough to carry our own suitcases.
As us kids, grew bigger, we also had family holidays by air, to Asia, the Pacific, Hawaii, and an epic journey to North America to visit some of the companies suppliers in California, but then to circumnavigate South America, by plane, train, bus, hydrofoil, boat, and car, to see, smell, taste and experience the cultures that make up that divers part of the world.

Trevor and Dick along with Cousin Ken, and others dabbled in the creation of a Hotel syndicate, and they invested in hotels across Melbourne and into Jyndabyne NSW. With the Jyndabyne Hotel Motel.
With running a successful family business, holidays, the farm at Red hill, running pubs in two states, Freemasonry, and a growing family, I'm in awe of how Trevor did all this in his lifetime..
for someone else it would be several lifetimes..

In 1984 Dick, decided to retire, and Trevor made me an offer I couldn't refuse and I joined him in the family business, that had downsized through the years to a small importer of medical supplies.. Thru the 1990s Anne and Andrew joined us in the business, while Colin had headed overseas, and established his life in North America.
Just before Christmas 2002, Dad, suffered a massive stroke, and we almost lost him. With a good deal of rehab, he was able to return to the family home in Glenferrie Rd Malvern, until June's death in 2006. Where he was relocated to Ashleigh Nursing Home which eventually became Arcare in Cochrans St Brighton.

The stroke slowed Trevor down, and I'm sad to say stole his voice, and communication, however his mind was still as sharp as ever. I and others could see his frustration in his eyes, in not being able to vocalise his thoughts, but over time he accepted this and found other ways to cope.
As we now know, Dad passed away in this sleep last Monday, after staying up to about 2 am watching Australia level the Ashes against England. If you gota go, could not have contemplated a better way to do so..

I will miss our Sunday Arvo drives across Melbourne, and surrounds just to get out into the east south and west of Melbourne, up dirt roads and tracks, we never did get lost.. Maybe geographically challenged at times but we would find a bit of bitumen which would eventually lead back to a Macas for a Cheese Burger and regular Latte Full Cream Milk with 2 Sugars, not stirred.
He Didn't like it too sweet... Then back to Brighton.

As everyone here will attest, Trevor had time for everyone.
He was true in spirit and always there when needed.
I know that he was proud of his kids, what ever they endeavoured to do in their lives..
and more so with the grand children, David, James, Paul, Elle, Derek, Luke & Lucy.
We will miss him dearly..
Thank you

Masonic Life
I extend an invitation to all in attendance to share these moments as we, as Freemasons, honour the memory of our brother Trevor Lance Masson
Joined Freemasonry on 15 June 1948 as an Entered apprentice
Raised to the 2nd Degree 17 May 1949
18 Oct 1949 to become a Master Mason.
Wor Master of East Malvern in 1988
Became a member of Henty Lodge in 1990
He received his 50th Jewel in Freemasonry in1998
The Great Architect of the Universe having been pleased in his infinite wisdom to remove our brother from cares and troubles of his transitory life, may we, who survive him, be more firmly united in the bonds of brotherhood and in the service of God and our fellow men.
The passing of our brother conveys a powerful appeal to our hearts, reminding us of the uncertainty of life and of the vanity of earthly hopes and desires.
For what are all the externals, the dreams of ambition, the pride of intellect, or the charms of beauty, when our mortal life is ended?
In death all ranks are levelled, all distinctions are done away.
Here the sceptre of the prince and the staff of the beggar are laid side by side.
Thus, in humble dependence upon the mercy of God, we may hope, when our earthly life shall have passed away, to take our place in the Grand Lodge above, where the world's Great Architect lives and reigns forever.
(Plain white apron is displayed)
The lambskin, or white apron, is the emblem of innocence and the badge of of a Mason.
It is more ancient than the Golden Fleece or the Roman Eagle, more honourable than the Garter, when worthily worn.
This emblem we now deposit where the earthly remains of our Brother rest.
(Place Apron)
This evergreen, which once marked the resting place of our illustrious dead, is the emblem of our faith in the immortality of the soul.
(Show Evergreen)
This too, we deposit with the apron.
(Place Evergreen)
By it we are reminded that we have an immortal part within us which shall never die.
Through our faith in the mercy of God, we believe that our souls will bloom in eternal spring.
I call upon those brothers present to place an piece of evergreen as a mark of their respect to Trevor.
LET US PRAY
Almighty God, we seek your consolation for those who by human ties are near and dear to our late brother. We thank you for the fraternal fellowship we have enjoyed with your servant, and pray that his faith has been such as to sustain the new life that comes after death.
Enable us so to regulate our conduct here that, when the solemn moment arrives at which we must quit this mortal scene, our lives may meet with thy divine approbation.
Thus supported we cherish our brother's memory and seek your aid as we continue our lives in peace and harmony with your divine will.
Amen