BENTONVILLE — Jack Edgar Mase,

92, of Bentonville passed away after a short illness on Dec. 8 at Circle of Life Hospice in Springdale after living mostly independently in an assisted living facility at the end of his life. He was born Jan. 30, 1928, in Canton, Ohio, to Russell and Helen (Oberlin) Mase.

Jack was preceded in death by his parents; an infant sister, Janice; his wife, Virginia “Ginny” Mase; his oldest son, David Mase; and his brother, Rev. Dr. Bruce Mase.

Jack is survived by one daughter, Sharon Michaels and her husband Bob of Fayetteville; one son, Ron Mase and his wife Kimberly of Missouri City, Texas; along with seven grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren living in various places; and one brother, Rev. Dr. Russell Mase and his wife Carmen of North Carolina.

In his early years, Jack grew up in the wake of the Great Depression and during the period of World War II with strong and hard-working Christian parents and two younger brothers devoted to their faith, family friends, community and country. These early years shaped the character of Jack that countless people have benefited from through his remarkable life.

For his 12th birthday, Jack had the opportunity to fly in a single-engine airplane that sparked his interest in aviation and later becoming a private pilot and owning various planes during his life.

During his high school years, Jack discovered his gifts and passion for singing and leadership as a member of his school’s choir and through his service as Senior Class President. Although Jack considered himself an average student, he was selected as a member of the National Honor Society and was voted most likely to succeed by his fellow students in his senior year.

Many have admired his intelligence and more importantly his wisdom gained from his life experiences and devotion to reading and learning. Jack possessed a remarkable intellect and memory until the end of his life.

While in college at the University of Cincinnati, Jack met his wife Virginia “Ginny” Roehrich whom he married in 1950 in Cincinnati, Ohio. They enjoyed a long and devoted marriage for nearly 65 years before the passing of Ginny at the age of 87 from Alzheimer’s disease in 2015.

Jack completed a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Science/Geology in 1952 after which he started his career at Shell Oil Company as a Geologist working in Tulsa, Okla.

In his career, Jack was a highly regarded and accomplished Geologist and leader, working at Shell Oil Company for 35 years in various locations in Oklahoma, Colorado and Texas before retiring with Ginny in 1987 to live on a 40-acre ranch in Berryville, Ark.

In addition to his leadership roles during his career, Jack served in many different leadership roles in their churches and other volunteer organizations. Most recently he was an Elder at the First Presbyterian Church in Bentonville where he and Ginny were active members for many years. Earlier in his life, Jack was trained and ordained as a lay-pastor and travelled to several small churches in the region to preach.

Jack and Ginny were always very engaged in the various churches they were members of throughout the years. They were involved in many in-depth Bible study and discipleship groups, service ministries and volunteer activities in the community well into their senior years.

While living in Rogers, they both volunteered as ushers at the Walton Art Center where they could also enjoy the benefit of watching the shows after people had been seated. Jack also served with the local Kiwanis Club for many years and continued to enjoy volunteering with the Food Pantry Ministry at First Presbyterian Church in Bentonville until after he turned 90 years old.

Jack’s passion for music and singing led him to consistent involvement with singing in and leading church choirs, performing with barbershop

quartets early and then later in life, and frequent impromptu sing-alongs with family and friends.

Jack was constantly a hard worker throughout his life and especially enjoyed handyman projects, electronics, tinkering with his single-engine airplanes, working in the yard and later managing his ranch during retirement. It was not all work though as he also enjoyed fishing and camping with his family and taking many memorable family trips by car and by his own airplane across the country. Jack cherished spending time with his extended family members despite and because of living far away from them most of his life. During their retirement years, Jack and Ginny continued travelling to visit family often and frequently travelled with close friends to interesting locations around the world.

Jack was devoted to providing for his family and equipping them with high moral character and wisdom rooted in his solid Christion faith. He was a man of integrity and helped instill values of sincere faith, strong work ethic, love and service to others. Jack was very loving, thoughtful and proactive throughout his life in investing in the future and success of his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and took great pride in each of their accomplishments.

Jack was always interested in helping others and generously providing his time and resources for needs of his family, friends and community. While living in Berryville, Jack and Ginny were foster parents to several teenage kids and Jack also worked at the local public school as a substitute teacher.

When they left the ranch in Berryville, Jack and Ginny moved to Rogers and then Bentonville where they resided at Legacy Village retirement community. After Ginny’s passing, Jack resided most recently at The Meadows assisted living facility.

Many people remember Jack for his engaging personality, genuine interest in the well-being of other people, his sense of humor marked by his good-natured bantering as well as his passion for lifting the spirits of those he loved by leading songs that everyone enjoyed.

Jack’s legacy will certainly live on in the lives he touched and influenced throughout his remarkable life. He was well loved by family and friends and will be greatly missed.

Due to the covid-19 pandemic precautions, a private committal service with the immediate family members will be held on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020, at First Presbyterian Church in Bentonville with Pastor Katie Cummings officiating.

The family regrets that they cannot celebrate the life of Jack in person with his many friends and extended family members. We do encourage anyone that would like to share condolences or a special memory of Jack to post on Jack’s obituary page at the Epting Funeral Home website listed below.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be given to the American Macular Degeneration Foundation, the Alzheimer’s Association, or the Food Pantry Ministry at First Presbyterian Church in Bentonville, Ark.

Arrangements: Epting Funeral Home of Bentonville.

Condolences: www.eptingfuneralhome.webs.com .