Stephen Traford Mason

Our Brother, Uncle, Cousin, friend Stephen Traford Mason died quickly and quietly of a massive heart attack on January 26, 2015 at the age of 75. Born in Santa Monica on August 31, 1939, he spent most of his life in Los Angeles and, happily, was a Santa Barbara resident for the last 12 years.

As a youth he attended Brentwood Elementary, Emerson Jr. High, University High, and U.C.L.A., all in the West Los Angeles area. Steve was a huge sports fan and would have been very sad to miss the great Super Bowl this year. He was also a Horse Racing aficionado and spent lots of time at the Showgrounds and even more time trading stocks on his computer and carefully tending his vegetable garden. In his earlier, more vigorous years he was a well-known photographer of classical ballet in the greater Los Angeles area after beginning his career years as a young space project engineer at McCullough Corporation in Long Beach. His appreciation of beauty and form in nature led him into Photography. He loved bike riding and racing as well as fishing and exploring in Baja.

He enjoyed his last months in his nice cottage at Pilgrim Terrace in Santa Barbara. Up to 6 weeks ago he could still be seen riding his racing bike around Santa Barbara. Stephen leaves behind his sister Jane Mason (Burke) of Santa Barbara, and his nieces Amy Burke (Pantelleria, Italy), Virginia Bryant Case (Tucson, AZ), Tara Mason Goodall (The Woodlands, TX) and his nephew Traford Hudson Burke (Santa Barbara)–all to whom he was a very interesting and interested Uncle Steve. We will all miss his wacky sense of humor and his eccentric yet eclectic world view. He left us still painfully shy but with a tender heart that touched many.He was preceded in death by his brother Phillip Stuart Mason also of Santa Barbara. A memorial will take place late April in Santa Barbara.

R.I.P. Dear Stephen.