Obituary of Stuart Jay Mason

Stuart Jay Mason was 76 years old and a 47-year resident of Las Vegas when he passed away surrounded by his loving family on Saturday, April 28, 2012. Stuart was born on December 19, 1935, in Columbus, Ohio to Agnes Fine Mason and Morry Marcus Mason. Shortly thereafter, in 1937, the family moved to Coral Gables, Florida, which back then was just a sleepy, backwater town. He grew up with many friends who nicknamed him the "golden boy." He graduated high school from Saunton Military Academy of Virginia and earned a degree in business with a minor in philosophy from the University of Miami. Stuart met his wife, Flora Esformes Mason, in 1956. She was the little sister of his friend and fraternity brother, Joe Esformes. Stuart and Flora enjoyed a long and loving marriage of 53 years, beginning in Miami, Florida on December 20, 1958. By 1965, Stuart and Flora moved with their three children to Las Vegas, Nevada and fell in love with the West. Stuart worked in all phases of construction with his father at Taylor International Corp. His two sons Bill and Jim later joined the company to make it a three-generation affair. Stuart had the unique distinction in his construction career of building the largest hotel in the world not just once, but 4 times: The International Hotel (now the LVH), the MGM Grand (now Bally's), the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, and lastly, the Venetian and Palazzo Projects for the Las Vegas Sands. People often said to Stuart that constructing large buildings was an exciting way to make a living. To Stuart, though, "it was a hard, difficult and honest way of earning a living," but it was work that he thoroughly loved. He took great pleasure and satisfaction from the strong personal relationships he developed with trades people and his professional colleagues. He was well respected for his integrity and work ethic. Stuart had tremendous passion for reaching out and helping people around him. It was his personal goal to try to make a genuine difference in people's lives. This translated into a long philanthropic path that included founding the Las Vegas Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation and serving as President of the Nevada State Contractor's Board and Temple Beth Sholom. He was a trustee of the Clark County Library, and board member of the Great Basin National Park Foundation. But his most personal gratification came from the creation of the Mason Peer Research Coaches Program at the UNLV Libraries where he developed meaningful relationships with each student scholarship recipient and cherished each student's achievements. Stuart was a man of many facets. He was a voracious reader in many genres. He was an art collector, poet and philosopher - a man with a great passion for life that matched his insatiable intellectual curiosity. What gave Stuart the most pleasure above all else were the many adventures and times he spent with his family, from roaming the United States in his motor home in the early years, to river rafting in the West, safaris in Africa, journeys to Israel, and many treasured summers in Sun Valley, Idaho. Stuart is survived by his wife, Flora, his sons and daughters-in-law, Bill and Sara, Jim and Gwen, and his five beloved grandchildren, Rachel, Shelby, Sam, Claire and Dani. He is predeceased by his daughter, Deborah Ann. Stuart enjoyed close and loving relationships with his brothers-in-law, Joe and Nate Esformes, his nieces and nephews, and his many dear friends. The family would like to specially thank Stuart's friend and physician, Dr. Wayne Hofstetter of MD Anderson, and the capable and caring staff at the Nevada Cancer Institute and Nathan Adelson Hospice. A Funeral Service was held Tuesday, May 1, 2012. Shiva will be Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday at the Mason home, with a minyan at 6:00 PM daily. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to the Las Vegas Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, Nathan Adelson Hospice, Mason Peer Research Coaches Program at UNLV Libraries, or other charity of choice.