Todd Jay Mason, know to his friends as Mason, 47, of Boise, Idaho passed away Wednesday, May 6, 2009 at Dougherty Hospice House, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota due to complications of alcoholism.
Memorial Services will be held 2:00 P.M. Saturday, May 9, 2009 at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Platte, South Dakota.
Todd was born on November 14, 1961 in Platte, South Dakota to Kenneth and Audrey (Rommen) Mason. He graduated from Platte High School in 1980. Todd married Barb Repshlauger, December 1985.
He held a variety of jobs and was an innovative entrepreneur going on to own many businesses. He was an avid traveler, visiting many places throughout the world. He also loved hunting, fishing, riding his Harley and just being outdoors. Todd was a people person and made friends wherever he went. He was also active in his community and helped others whenever he could.
Those left to cherish Todd’s memory include: his daughter, Stacia and her mother, Barb of Boise, ID; his parents; maternal grandmother, Hazel Rommen of Platte; two brothers: Tim of Platte and Tobin of Rapid City, SD; and three sisters: Tamara Mason of Bemidji, MN, Taryn Mack of Houghton, MI and Tonya Standy (Kory) of Platte. He was an uncle to five nephews and three nieces and left behind many friends, including his girlfriend, Rhonda Stevens of Boise, ID.
He was preceded in death by: his paternal grandparents; his maternal grandfather and beloved Golden Retriever, Roby.
Todd chose to be cremated and his ashes will be scattered in one of the most beautiful places he ever saw, Galena Summit in Idaho.
Thursday, May 28, 2009 To The Editor: This is to those of you who wondered about the reason we stated alcoholism as the cause of my brother, Todd Mason's death. I am not ashamed of how my brother died and it does not make me love him less. Alcoholism is a disease that once it has control of a person's life, it will kill them. I did not know Todd was an alcoholic until March 24, 2009 when I got a phone call that said he was in a Boise hosipital with liver and kidney failure due to alcoholism and they did not expect him to survive. Todd was a young man, a great businessman, the best big brother, someone I truly admired and was proud to call my brother. Many alcoholics can fool others into believing they don't have a problem, and that they can control their drinking. This is very different than a person who goes out and has a few drinks after work or with a meal. An alcoholic is someone who schedules their life around being able to drink. Perhaps they can't sleep so sthey start drinking at home alone in the middle of the night or stay home during the day to drink and end up needing more and more alcohol as time goes by. It breaks my heart that this is the torment that Todd lived with the last several months or years of his life. Todd saw it as a sign of weakness to ask for help, and said that he would face this problem like other problems he had, head on and by himself. I'm sorry he chose not to tell some of us about his addiction so we never had a chance to try to help him, but I am even more sorry for the ones who did know of his problem and did everything they could to help him and he wouldn't let them. Todd fially admitted he had a drinking problem when he was in the hospital, but it was too late to save his life. The point of this letter is to let those of you who are drinking or doing other self destructive behavior know what it is like for the family. I spend the worst six weeks (the day I got the phone call and went to Boise until the day he passed away) of my life by his bedside praying for God to heal himn and bring him back to us when he was in a coma, crying a river of tears for what I was losing, and finally praying for God to take him home so he would no longer be controlled by alcoholism and that he could be peace and free from pain. Picture yourself or a loved one lying in bed dying and some of your family members standing around watching them suffer and die. It is the worst kind of pain you can feel, to hold their hand, hug them, and kiss them, not knowing each day if it is the last time you will touch them. Please, for the sake of your children, siblings, parents, get help for your addiction. I don't think any less of my brother because of his addiction and I will always love him. One of the last things he told me was "I will always be with you," which he is, but he also took a part of my heart with him when he left and I will always miss him. Tonya Standy Todd's baby sister
Pamela Peters (Halverson)
Todd Jay Mason, know to his friends as Mason, 47, of Boise, Idaho passed away Wednesday, May 6, 2009 at Dougherty Hospice House, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota due to complications of alcoholism.Memorial Services will be held 2:00 P.M. Saturday, May 9, 2009 at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Platte, South Dakota.
Todd was born on November 14, 1961 in Platte, South Dakota to Kenneth and Audrey (Rommen) Mason. He graduated from Platte High School in 1980. Todd married Barb Repshlauger, December 1985.
He held a variety of jobs and was an innovative entrepreneur going on to own many businesses. He was an avid traveler, visiting many places throughout the world. He also loved hunting, fishing, riding his Harley and just being outdoors. Todd was a people person and made friends wherever he went. He was also active in his community and helped others whenever he could.
Those left to cherish Todd’s memory include: his daughter, Stacia and her mother, Barb of Boise, ID; his parents; maternal grandmother, Hazel Rommen of Platte; two brothers: Tim of Platte and Tobin of Rapid City, SD; and three sisters: Tamara Mason of Bemidji, MN, Taryn Mack of Houghton, MI and Tonya Standy (Kory) of Platte. He was an uncle to five nephews and three nieces and left behind many friends, including his girlfriend, Rhonda Stevens of Boise, ID.
He was preceded in death by: his paternal grandparents; his maternal grandfather and beloved Golden Retriever, Roby.
Todd chose to be cremated and his ashes will be scattered in one of the most beautiful places he ever saw, Galena Summit in Idaho.
Amanda Anderson (Scott)
Thursday, May 28, 2009To The Editor:
This is to those of you who wondered about the reason we stated alcoholism as the cause of my brother, Todd Mason's death. I am not ashamed of how my brother died and it does not make me love him less.
Alcoholism is a disease that once it has control of a person's life, it will kill them. I did not know Todd was an alcoholic until March 24, 2009 when I got a phone call that said he was in a Boise hosipital with liver and kidney failure due to alcoholism and they did not expect him to survive.
Todd was a young man, a great businessman, the best big brother, someone I truly admired and was proud to call my brother. Many alcoholics can fool others into believing they don't have a problem, and that they can control their drinking. This is very different than a person who goes out and has a few drinks after work or with a meal.
An alcoholic is someone who schedules their life around being able to drink. Perhaps they can't sleep so sthey start drinking at home alone in the middle of the night or stay home during the day to drink and end up needing more and more alcohol as time goes by.
It breaks my heart that this is the torment that Todd lived with the last several months or years of his life. Todd saw it as a sign of weakness to ask for help, and said that he would face this problem like other problems he had, head on and by himself.
I'm sorry he chose not to tell some of us about his addiction so we never had a chance to try to help him, but I am even more sorry for the ones who did know of his problem and did everything they could to help him and he wouldn't let them.
Todd fially admitted he had a drinking problem when he was in the hospital, but it was too late to save his life.
The point of this letter is to let those of you who are drinking or doing other self destructive behavior know what it is like for the family.
I spend the worst six weeks (the day I got the phone call and went to Boise until the day he passed away) of my life by his bedside praying for God to heal himn and bring him back to us when he was in a coma, crying a river of tears for what I was losing, and finally praying for God to take him home so he would no longer be controlled by alcoholism and that he could be peace and free from pain.
Picture yourself or a loved one lying in bed dying and some of your family members standing around watching them suffer and die. It is the worst kind of pain you can feel, to hold their hand, hug them, and kiss them, not knowing each day if it is the last time you will touch them. Please, for the sake of your children, siblings, parents, get help for your addiction.
I don't think any less of my brother because of his addiction and I will always love him. One of the last things he told me was "I will always be with you," which he is, but he also took a part of my heart with him when he left and I will always miss him.
Tonya Standy
Todd's baby sister
Rick Safar
This belongs here.
Amanda Anderson (Scott)
Pictures from sis, Tonya