John Mason is not the type of person to celebrate himself.
Despite being a World War II Army veteran, working in the oil industry for decades and serving on the board for DFB Pharmaceuticals and Healthpoint, Mason continues to remain humble and quiet about his career.
“You really had to ask him. You would never know that he was involved unless you asked him, and unless you knew him well, he might not tell you,” said Gary Buff, a family friend of the Masons. “He just isn’t that kind of person — he is never him first.”
Still, those close to him felt his life deserves acclaim, especially upon reaching the milestone of a centennial birthday.
On Dec. 2, John Mason celebrated his 100th birthday at Shady Oaks Country Club. Over two dozen friends and family came together for a surprise party to cheer for the man who continues to have an impact on those close to him.
“This was a wonderful surprise. We really appreciate all of you coming. Been a long life, but it’s been a wonderful one, especially the last 20 years,” said John Mason after everyone wished him a happy birthday in song.
Highlighting his accomplishments, Mason’s family showed a partial screening of a documentary made eight years ago by his daughter, Andee Mason.
John Mason speaks with friends and family at his 100th birthday celebration at the Shady Oaks Country Club in Fort Worth on Dec. 2, 2025. (Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report/CatchLight Local/Report for America)
John Mason holds a birthday cake at his 100th birthday celebration at the Shady Oaks Country Club in Fort Worth on Dec. 2, 2025. (Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report/CatchLight Local/Report for America)
The longtime Fort Worth native began by remarking about his time in the Army during World War II. Mason noted he received a Bronze Star for meritorious service — “doing your job in a way that the Army approves of,” he said — after four other people in his group, also named John, were killed in action.
Mason also recalled his time in the oil industry, where he worked for or helmed companies including Stanolin Oil & Gas Co., Amarex Inc. and Burnett Oil Company.
But what he raved the most about in the documentary was his work in the health care industry.
Mason served on the board of DFB Pharmaceuticals for decades and helped the company in its early days. He noted as one of his proudest accomplishments, the research being done by DFB-operated Phyton Biotech, which studied injecting metal nanoparticles into cancerous cells to stop a tumor’s growth.
John Mason watches a video that his daughter made at his 100th birthday celebration at the Shady Oaks Country Club in Fort Worth on Dec. 2, 2025. (Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report/CatchLight Local/Report for America)
“What would you like to go to your grave saying I’ve done? ‘I participated in curing cancer’ would be a nice way to go,” Mason said in the documentary.
Rich in relationships
John Mason fully retired and stopped working very recently. He was 97 when he decided to hang up his boots.
His son, Will Mason, attributed his father’s long career to his “incredibly stubborn English DNA.” He noted that his father, a geologist by training, experienced both wealth and poverty in his life, which led him to value hard work.
“He went from riches to rags to riches,” Will Mason said. “The throughline there for him is appreciation of money and the value of human relationships.”
Andee Mason attributed her father’s long life to the connection between him and her mother, Annie Mason.
John Mason and his daughter Andee Mason at Shady Oaks Country Club in Fort Worth on Dec. 2, 2025. (Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report/CatchLight Local/Report for America)
“My parents’ love for each other, their bond, he’s not going anywhere anytime soon,” Andee Mason said. “He just has a will to thrive and live.”
Those around him continuously describe the patriarch as a kind man who doesn’t hold preconceived notions of others.
“He has an open mind about pretty much everything,” Andee Mason said. “I don’t know if it was his time in the war or just his core character, but he takes people for who they are and doesn’t ever judge them.”
“He just accepts people as they are, and that brings out the best of people,” John’s wife, Annie Mason, said. “I love that about him.”
John Mason holds a birthday cake at his 100th birthday celebration at the Shady Oaks Country Club in Fort Worth on Dec. 2, 2025. (Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report/CatchLight Local/Report for America)
Ismael M. Belkoura is the health reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at ismael.belkoura@fortworthreport.org.
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