In Memory
Gary Massoni August 7, 1942 - November 3, 2019, Gary Massoni was born in St. Helena, California and grew up in Yountville and Napa. He was always delighted to boast he was from the famous Napa Valley. Gary, the only child of Gino (also written Genio) and Ruth Parkinson Massoni, was also proud of his Italian heritage. Although his paternal grandparents, who immigrated from Tuscany to San Francisco, died before he was born, his early memories included exuberant gatherings with the extended Italian side of the family where Italian was spoken and an uncle was in the back room singing opera. During Gary's college years he began to think deeply about what he believed. After graduating from Stanford University, he married Betty Herndon and they headed to Chicago where he attended Chicago Theological Seminary, although not at all sure where this education would lead. The very first people they met in Chicago were Jesse Jackson and his wife, Jackie. This meeting began a friendship and direction that was woven throughout the rest of Gary's life. That winter Jesse organized a group including Gary to go to Selma, Alabama, in response to Dr. Martin Luther King's call for people to support the drive for voting rights and the marchers who had been beaten on Bloody Sunday. The next year Gary began working with Operation Breadbasket, the Chicago based program which SCLC, Dr. King's organization, had asked Jesse Jackson to lead. Gary continued to work with Breadbasket on issues of economic justice as well as finally earning his seminary degree in 1971. Being in the Lorraine Motel in 1968 and hearing the shot when Dr. King was assassinated always haunted Gary. After leaving Chicago, Gary was ordained by the Disciples of Christ and worked on social justice issues for a group of churches in Stockton, California. He then became Director of Programs for the Southwest region of the American Friends Service Committee in Pasadena, California. Justice for farmworkers and peace in Palestine and Israel were probably the issues closest to his heart during that time. In 1985 Gary and his family moved to Corvallis for him to work as a campus minister at Westminster House at OSU. While there he particularly enjoyed teaching classes in the Honors College. In 1987 Rev. Jackson asked Gary to be the Director of Scheduling for his 1988 Presidential Campaign. A whirlwind year plus followed. Looking back Gary would joke that during that year he was the second most popular man in the country because so many people wanted Rev. Jackson to speak at an event, but to make that happen they had to deal with Gary. Gary returned from the campaign to Westminster House. After a few years he was drawn back to work with Rev. Jackson's organization, the Rainbow Coalition. He continued to work with Rainbow and later Rainbow-PUSH until he retired, holding a variety of job titles and responsibilities as Rev. Jackson took advantage of Gary's flexibility and ability to learn whatever he needed to get the work done. Gary also continued his concern for peace in Palestine and Israel. He divided his time between Chicago and working remotely from Corvallis. Despite his intense work life, he was always devoted to his family, sharing much time, love and laughter doing things with Betty, their daughters, Gina and Dara, and more recently their grandchildren, Kai, Rowan and Rose. Gary also loved photography, travel, mountain streams, and all kinds of music, especially Hawaiian slack key guitar. He was particularly proud of a project where he and Betty used his photography to create panels for a museum show by Vida Nueva, a women's weaving cooperative from Oaxaca, Mexico. Gary had been healthy until he was suddenly sick and spent a month in the hospital. At the end doctors found the acute myeloid leukemia that killed him. Left grieving are wife Betty; daughter Gina and her husband Roger Marchand, daughter Dara Massoni, and her spouse Chere Taylor; grandchildren Rose Marchand, and Rowan and Kai Massoni, and a host of friends. His death leaves a huge hole in our lives. There will be a celebration of Gary's life January 18, at 2 p.m. at First Congregational Church, 4515 SW West Hills Road, Corvallis. Messages for the family may be left on Gary's page at the McHenry Funeral Home, Corvallis. If you wish to make a contribution in Gary's honor, please consider Rainbow-PUSH, Chicago, or First Congregational Church, Corvallis.
James (Jim) Pearl
Dear Family of Gary Massoni--Betty, Gina, Dara, Kai, Rowan, Rose--as one of Gary's Napa High School classmates, I am so sorry to hear about his passing away from illness.
I last saw Gary in 1960; I last talked to Gary in December 2010 by phone. In our Senior year we shared a class in Trigonometry and Solid Geometry, taught by Ms Sarah Lynch. Gary sat in the front and was a leader. He often had a smile!
In our 2010 phone call (and recently in thinking about Gary), what caught my attention was Gary's Servant's heart--concerned for, and wanting to help others! And with the leadership talents (and prayer!) to get things done.
Matthew 25:40 says, "And the KING (JESUS CHRIST) will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these MY bretheran, you did it to ME.'"
Again, we are so sorry. Jim and Rosa Pearl, Class of 1960 (2087721890 /Idaho)
1/9/2020
Jacqueline Juvinall (Zwick)
Dear Family of Gary, I ran into Gary at one of our high school reunions a number of years ago. He took me aside and told me about his life and how my father, Napa Methodist Pastor, Andy Juvinall, had influenced him in his life. I was deeply touched and incredibly amazed at all that Gary had accomplished. He actually later sent me a large photo of dad and Gary marching together in Selma Alabama with Martin Luther King. ...very special.
My heart goes out to you during this difficult time of loss. Take care, Jacqueline (Juvinall) Zwick
George "Buck" Vaile
To the Family of Gary Massoni and the many schoolmates that knew and loved him: My first year back in Napa since the 5th grade was as a senior in high school in the same class as Gary. I really didn't know very many people at the time and I met Gary early on through one of the few students that I did know. It was, without a doubt, one of the most fortunate meetings of my lifetime. Gary and I became very good friends during that senior year, which was a true joy in my life as we did many things together and I met many students who have been life long friends through him. We shared many school activities and even spent part of our Christmas vacation looking for Bigfoot in Northern Califonria with three other Napa High schoolmates. Although we didn't stay in close contact after I graduated from Napa Junior College (I left California about a year later and I only saw him once after that at a reunion) I have always cherished the friendship that we had and his great outgoing personality and the kindness that he displayed towards myself and others. I really didn't know much about what he did during his career until I read the posting that's on the Napa High website that was forwarded to me by another friend, but it didn't surprise me that Gary spent most of his life trying to make the world a better place and no doubt succeeded on many, many levels. The thought of him not being here with us now is immensely sad for me and I wish to offer my most sincere condolences to his family as I have no doubt that the void for them is much, much greater than it is for me. May God bless you all and allow you to take comfort in the celebration that is taking place by a large multitude of souls on Gary's return to the Heavenly Realm. I'm sure you will be reunited with him by and by as I hope that I am. Buck Vaile.
Thomas Johnson
Gary was always polite and gentlemanly when it wasn't cool to be that, but he was true to himself. He was intelligent and had a great and friendly personality and sense of humor. He also had a neat green Plymouth tudor, that we rode around in. We shared a faith in a loving God and I believe that "we shall meet on that beautiful shore" as written in the old hymn "I'll meet you in the Morning" - Tom Johnson
This sermon by Charles Spurgeon in 1865 explains Gary's faithfulness and devotion to loving people and his loving God:
"WE LET THEM GO"
Oh death, why do you touch the tree where the weary seek shade and rest? Why do you snatch away the fruitful trees? If you must use your axe, use it on the trees that yield no fruit. We might even thank you for that. But why do you cut down the good cedars of Lebanon? Spare the righteous; do not use your axe.
But no, death takes the best of our friends. The most generous, the most prayerful, the most holy, and the most devoted must die. Why? Because of Jesus' prevailing prayer in John 17:24: "Father I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am." It is this prayer that bears our loved ones on wings to heaven. Every time a believer leaves this earth for paradise it is an answer to Christ's prayer.
A good old Puritan remarked, "Many times Jesus and His people pull against one another in prayer. You bend your knee in prayer and say, 'Father I desire that Your saints be with me where I am.' But Christ says, 'Father, I desire that they may be where I am' " Thus the disciple is at cross-purposes with the Lord. The loved one cannot be in both places.
Now what prayer would you choose to have answered? If the King were to step from His throne and say, "Here are two supplicants praying in opposition to each other, which prayer should be answered?" I am sure that even in agony you would say, "Jesus, not my will, but Yours".
You would give up your prayer for your loved one's life if you realized that Christ is praying in the opposite direction. "Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am."
Lord, You shall have them. By faith we let them go.
Anne Ehrlich (O'Brien)
I was perhaps Gary's oldest living male friend. We both lived in Alta Heights and met maybe at Lincoln School, but for sure at Alta Heights Elementary in the third, fourth, and fifth grades. In fact, we were among those pioneers who were the first members of that student body. We did everything together. He was a great friend. I remember his mother well as I spent a lot of time in their home. She was a fine lady and mother, although I do remember her as a little strict for my tastes. His dad was a bit of a loner whom I rarely saw. Gary and I did not remain that close when we moved to Ridgeview. He was more serious than I, maybe less social, a better student, and more involved in his church. We also were not close in high school, although we liked and respected each other for sure. I knew how smart he was and that he was a great student. I enjoyed seeing him do the broad jump (now long jump) on the track team. Then I went to Cal, he to Stanford.and we did not meet again for 25 years. That happened in the 80's when he and the family moved to Corvallis, Oregon. We had moved to nearby Eugene (45 miles) in 1976. We got in touch with them and got the chance to meet the love of his life, Betty. She is from Grants Pass in Oregon, but they had met at Stanford. She was a wonderful wife for Gary. We all explained what we had been doing. I remembered them coming to a track and field meet in Eugene. We saw them a few times during the years, but the best time was a few years ago when we spent a half day rafting together on the whitewater Mckenzie River east of Eugene. We stayed overnight at the Belknap Sprikngs Lodge east of McKenzie Bridge. That is when I became aware he knew a lot about photography and mushrooms! We stayed in touch, but they were always very busy and got even moreso when their grandchildren came along. I'll bet the Massonis were wonderful grandparents. I will miss Gary. His "resume" reflects his deep fondness for the underdogs in life. His social conscienct was huge. And he was a serious peacemaker. I will never forget his reaction when I told him I had been in ROTC at Cal and had served as an Air Force intelligence officer in Thailand for a year during the Viet Nam War (1069-1970). He was very polite, but the look on his face revealed his disappointment, as I am sure he hated war generally and that war in particular.
Michael "Mickey" Miller
Gary was one of the smartest, and nicest people I have ever met. His mind worked in ways beyond my understanding. He had answers to questions I couldn't even think of. He was very helpful explaining things and never made you feel inadequate. We were good friends throughout the Ridgeview and Napa High days, but stayed in contact throughout the years by sharing yearly letters and emails. My earliest interest in photography (which has continued to this day) were with Gary when he demonstrated his 35 MM Minolta camera and lenses, and when we made some prints in his darkroom in the "basement". Another memory is when we stayed overnight in San Francisco so we could take a series of tests in hopes of qualifying for a scholarship to The United States Coast Academy. He passed. Those years also included parties, dances and school activities. Upon graduation, our paths diverged, but we managed to stay in touch. Our last meeting was at Gary and Betty's home in Corvallis a few years ago when Sue and I stopped by on a return trip from the Seattle area. We talked about photography, and about the solar panels they had recently installed. Gary and Betty were hoping to come to the Reno area to visit relatives and we hoped to see them then, but other demands on their time (grandkids?) got there first, and we agree.
Our condolences go to his family. His passing leaves a huge void for them, and for many others who knew and loved him.
Anne Ehrlich (O'Brien)
FIrst, the previous comment under my name was really Dave. I'm not that articulate.
I do have fond memories of our time at Belnap Springs on the McKenzie River. We also spent a couple of fine days at the Oregon Coast with the Massonis.
Betty was a perfect mate for Gary. Two smart and caring people who loved each other and their family deeply. .
Isn't it wonderful that he chose to use all that brain power to serve his fellow humans and his Lord, working for peace and justice?
He will be missed.
Peace...anne