James Paul Mason

Services for Mr. James Paul Mason will be at 11 am, Thursday, June 16, 2022, at McClain- Hays Chapel. Interment will be in Linwood Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 pm Wednesday, June 15, 2022. Mr. Mason, 69, died on June 11, 2022, in their Oxford home. James Paul was the only child born to the late James Presley and Mary Ethel Graham Mason. He was a lifelong resident of Neshoba County, raised in the Linwood community, where he continued to return daily to maintain family land. “Grumps” wanted to ensure that their grandchildren had a place to see the cows, catch a fish and ride the mule. He graduated from Neshoba Central High School, where he was an accomplished athlete; signing with the University Of Mississippi. Playing offensive lineman for Ole Miss were the best years of his life that he continued sharing with family and friends for the next 52 years. Nothing made him more proud than to see Yancey and Corby become fellow alumni. He returned to Neshoba County as an assistant coach at his high school alma mater for five years, and then began his career with U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency, where he served as executive director for Neshoba and Kemper counties and later retired in December 2018. He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Judy Clark Mason; daughters, Yancey (Reed) Harrington of Brandon and Corby (Kiley) Goforth of Englewood, CO; grandchildren, Mary Presley Harrington, Molly Mason Harrington and Ruby Ann Goforth.