Obituary for Cornelia Gaylord Mason
Cornelia Gaylord (Camp) Mason, 75, died on January 22, 2019 at Hartford Hospital after a short battle with brain cancer. She was the beloved wife of Nicholas B. Mason for 28 years and the daughter of Merwin Gaylord Camp and Elizabeth Covington (Campbell) Camp of Middlebury, CT. Connie was born on May 11, 1943 in Waterbury, CT and grew up on Breakneck Hill in Middlebury, CT. She was a proud life long member of the Middlebury Swimming Club and owner of one of the early plywood kit Sailfish class sailboats produced by Alcort (USA) during the 1950’s.
Connie graduated from St. Margaret’s School in Waterbury, CT in 1961, Pine Manor College, Chestnut Hill, MA in 1963 and Katherine Gibbs School in Boston, MA. During her early working career, she was employed by the Massachusetts Title Insurance Co., Waterbury Savings Bank and the Hartford Insurance Group. She had outstanding sales related positions with the Kimberly-Clark Corp., Mead Johnson & Company, William Raveis Real Estate, Deaconess Home Health Care, and ASAP, Inc.
Connie was very generous with her time, volunteering actively with a number of non-profit organizations including the St. Andrews Society of the Eastern Shore in Easton, MD, the St. Margaret’s-McTernan School Alumnae/i Association, the Simsbury Light Opera Company (SLOCO), and the Simsbury Chamber of Commerce. She moved to Simsbury in 1983. With the Simsbury Light Opera Co., she was a board member for six years, Vice President for 3 years and President for 3 years. She was Treasurer of the SLOCO building committee that raised $250,000 for the company’s set construction/rehearsal building, Basingstoke. However, her real talent (self taught) was backstage as Chair of the Make Up Committee. With the Simsbury Chamber of Commerce, she was board member, President for two years and an Emeritus Director. She was Chair for the Chamber’s annual fundraising event “SeptemberFest” for several years. Connie had the rare talent of getting a diverse group of unrelated people “working together to produce a superior product”. She demanded the “best” of both herself and those she worked with.
Connie was an active exercise enthusiast, regularly recording 10,000+ steps per day on her Fitbit tracker. She was particularly proud of winning her age division (70+) in the Simsbury-Granby Rotary Club River Run 5K road race on Iron Horse Boulevard in Simsbury on several occasions.
Connie is survived by her husband, Nicholas B. Mason of Simsbury, CT and two step children from her first marriage, Christina Ann Moore of Columbia, MD and Bryant Moore Clearwater of Paonia, CO and many cousins. She was predeceased by her parents and two sisters, Julia and Betsey Camp.
Calling hours will be held at the Vincent Funeral Home, 880 Hopmeadow Street, Simsbury, CT 06070 on February 8, 2019 from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. A memorial service will be held at the First Congregational Church, 689 Hopmeadow Street, Simsbury, CT 06070 on February 9, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to one of Connie’s favorite charities: The Simsbury Light Opera Company, Box 323, Simsbury, CT 06070, the Simsbury Land Trust, 800 Hopmeadow Street, Simsbury, CT 06070, or the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, 166 Capitol Ave., Hartford, CT 06106.
Burial will take place at the convenience of the family at the Middlebury Cemetery Association in the spring. The Vincent Funeral Home, 880 Hopmeadow Street, Simsbury, CT 06070 is in charge of the arrangements. Please visit our website, www.vincentfuneralhome.com, to view Mrs. Mason’s “Book of Memories”, a permanent remembrance where friends and family may leave condolences, share stories and photos and light candles in her memory.
Connie graduated from St. Margaret’s School in Waterbury, CT in 1961, Pine Manor College, Chestnut Hill, MA in 1963 and Katherine Gibbs School in Boston, MA. During her early working career, she was employed by the Massachusetts Title Insurance Co., Waterbury Savings Bank and the Hartford Insurance Group. She had outstanding sales related positions with the Kimberly-Clark Corp., Mead Johnson & Company, William Raveis Real Estate, Deaconess Home Health Care, and ASAP, Inc.
Connie was very generous with her time, volunteering actively with a number of non-profit organizations including the St. Andrews Society of the Eastern Shore in Easton, MD, the St. Margaret’s-McTernan School Alumnae/i Association, the Simsbury Light Opera Company (SLOCO), and the Simsbury Chamber of Commerce. She moved to Simsbury in 1983. With the Simsbury Light Opera Co., she was a board member for six years, Vice President for 3 years and President for 3 years. She was Treasurer of the SLOCO building committee that raised $250,000 for the company’s set construction/rehearsal building, Basingstoke. However, her real talent (self taught) was backstage as Chair of the Make Up Committee. With the Simsbury Chamber of Commerce, she was board member, President for two years and an Emeritus Director. She was Chair for the Chamber’s annual fundraising event “SeptemberFest” for several years. Connie had the rare talent of getting a diverse group of unrelated people “working together to produce a superior product”. She demanded the “best” of both herself and those she worked with.
Connie was an active exercise enthusiast, regularly recording 10,000+ steps per day on her Fitbit tracker. She was particularly proud of winning her age division (70+) in the Simsbury-Granby Rotary Club River Run 5K road race on Iron Horse Boulevard in Simsbury on several occasions.
Connie is survived by her husband, Nicholas B. Mason of Simsbury, CT and two step children from her first marriage, Christina Ann Moore of Columbia, MD and Bryant Moore Clearwater of Paonia, CO and many cousins. She was predeceased by her parents and two sisters, Julia and Betsey Camp.
Calling hours will be held at the Vincent Funeral Home, 880 Hopmeadow Street, Simsbury, CT 06070 on February 8, 2019 from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. A memorial service will be held at the First Congregational Church, 689 Hopmeadow Street, Simsbury, CT 06070 on February 9, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to one of Connie’s favorite charities: The Simsbury Light Opera Company, Box 323, Simsbury, CT 06070, the Simsbury Land Trust, 800 Hopmeadow Street, Simsbury, CT 06070, or the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, 166 Capitol Ave., Hartford, CT 06106.
Burial will take place at the convenience of the family at the Middlebury Cemetery Association in the spring. The Vincent Funeral Home, 880 Hopmeadow Street, Simsbury, CT 06070 is in charge of the arrangements. Please visit our website, www.vincentfuneralhome.com