Rev. James Sherman Mason

On Sunday, July 18, 2021, the Rev. James Sherman Mason Jr., affectionately known as Sherman, passed suddenly at his residence in Lewistown, Maryland. Born in Fountain Mills, MD on June 23, 1935, to the late Rev. James Sherman Mason Sr. and Alma Louise Johnson Mason, Sherman was a lifelong resident and community leader of Frederick County.

Sherman's faith and religion were always his top priority--followed by family, and civic involvement--so it was no surprise when he answered the call and went to seminary. He was appointed Pastor at Mt. Zion United Methodist Church in Charlestown, W. Va., in 1988. He led Mt. Zion until his retirement in 2001. He was then asked to lead Simpson Christian Community Church in New Market, Md., which he did for five years. Too industrious to fully retire, Sherman went on to work part-time as a receptionist at the law offices of Willie J. Mahone and Daniel Q. Mahone until the beginning of 2020.

A highly curious man, Sherman attended Lincoln High School, Morgan State College, George Washington University, and Wesley Theological Seminary. Before becoming a pastor, he had several diverse and impactful chapters of his career. After college and military service in the U. S. Army, Sherman worked at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), where he co-authored with I. Nagatsu, and G. G. Glenner a 1966 article in The Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry titled "Tissue Fixation By Diazonium Salts of a Particle-Bound Rat Kidney Aminopeptidase." In 1968, he joined Eastalco Aluminum Company, then one of the largest and highest compensating employers in Frederick County, where he was responsible for hiring all of the initial employees. Because of his efforts, Eastalco became one of the most racially diverse companies in the county at the time.

Sherman believed that community involvement was essential to increasing equality, diversity, and access. As a result of that belief, his civic involvement included: serving as President of the Frederick Branch of the NAACP; being the first Black man to head a Frederick County Grand jury, in 1975; being the youngest candidate to run for the State Central Committee; serving as a Member of the Frederick Community Relations Committee; leading as a Grand Master of the 2nd and 3rd Masonic Districts, as well as Master of Fredericktonian Lodge No. 12.

Sherman was also known as an accomplished gospel vocalist, participating in "The Versatiles" for over 50 years, and more recently "Whosoever Will," two local gospel singing groups. He frequently sang solos at churches, weddings, and funerals.

The family was Sherman's greatest source of joy. He was a loving husband, father, and grandfather. While each of his children thought they were the apple of their father's eye, the truth is his grandchildren were. They could do no harm as far as Granddad/Poppop was concerned. He loved playing games with his grandchildren, especially Scrabble.
We will miss so much about Sherman, including his melodic voice, and unforgettable laugh. He was an engaged conversationalist and debater, he loved family gatherings, and he was understanding and supportive instead of being judgmental. Most importantly, he was always there for us.

Sherman is survived by his wife, Rachel L. Mason; his children, Keith Lee, Sheri Mason-Wright, Radford Mason and his wife Donna, and Jonathan "Jay" Mason and his wife Beth; his stepmother Ella Mason; his stepbrother Wayne Lee and his wife Robin; his stepsisters Robin Kelly and Grace Lee; his nephews Mike Carter, Brennon Lee, Nathan Kelly; his niece Amber Kelly; and his 10 grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his brother Ralph Johnson, and his son-in-law, Todd Wright.

He also leaves to mourn a host of cousins, colleagues, and friends.

Visitation will be held on Monday, July 26, 2021, from 4-7 PM at Gary L. Rollins Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, July 27, 2021, at 11 am at First Missionary Baptist Church, located at 6430 Jefferson Pike, Frederick, Md. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Frederick County Chapter of the NAACP, located at 129-7 West Patrick Street, Frederick, MD 21701 and www.naacpfrederickcounty.org/.