Sonia Alberta Cynthia Mason

Sonia Alberta Cynthia Mason died suddenly on August 20th, 2024. She was 76 years old. She was the loving daughter of Myrl and Joseph Maxwell, mother of Pauline and sister to Janet. Sonia was born on in St. John’s Antigua on April 17th, 1948 and immigrated to the United States in 1982. Sonia Alberta Cynthia Mason was a loving Mother, Sister, Aunt and Friend. She was especially close with her sister Janet as they lost both of their parents as teenagers which forged an unbreakable bond between them. Sonia was born in Antigua in the parish of St. John’s on New Street. She attended Princesss Margaret Secondary School and began her work life as a beat reporter under Tim Hector writing for the column, “Around Antigua.” She could easily be found at Drive-In on Sunday Nights watching the latest Kung Fu movie, at the cricket stadium cheering on Vivi Richards and her West Indies Cricket Team, early morning swimming at Fort James Beach holding court, or arguing fiercely about the latest steel band competition. Sonia emigrated to the USA in 1982 and resided in the Bronx with her daughter and nieces. She got her accounting certificate and began working at various temp agency assignments until she was hired full time at the Hearst Corporation. In 1993, Sonia relocated with her company Hearst Magazine Corp. to the Charlotte area in North Carolina. She learned to drive and ultimately bought a home which she maintained with pride. She would spend much time cooking, baking her famous black cakes and pudding for family and friends and catching up on favorite TV shows, mainly her tennis and soap operas. She also loved to Garden and maintained her flowers impeccably. She began each day with her prayer and daily word and shared such fellowship with family and friends. She lived each day fully: she had a routine that included preparing breakfast for her and her daughter – Tuesdays and Thursdays was special hard-boiled eggs, and Saturdays was Antiguan styled fried egg breakfast. Antigua remained her home. Summers were spent there with her family and visiting her friends. She relished her morning walk up and down Dickenson Bay beach with her sister Janet and daughter Pauline, to be later joined by her nieces and friends for a wake up swim. Sonia will be missed so much…we all needed a dose of “Ms. Chatham” every day. She is survived by the following family members: daughter, Pauline Mellanson who resided with her in Matthews, NC; Sister: Janet Mason and her daughter Denise Isaac residing in New York City; Evelyn Baronville and her daughter and son- in law Rosalyn Harvey and her Children Gercell, Garry, Kambria, Kiburi, Keyairra and their children and grandchildren; Elijah, Yentell, Isaiah and wife Sarah, Oscar, Bryce, Jadalyn, & Carter; great-grandchildren Tifany, Emilia, Kye & Eliana; Brother: Weldin Jacobs residing in Texas; and his children Jerome Jacobs and his daughter Taja Jacobs; Claudette, Karen, Evelyn, Tish, Alston (Junie) and Jerris Jacobs and their children Extended Family: The Thomas Family: Rachael "Annie," Bevon and Orlando Simmons and family, Janice Martin, and David and Peter Browne; The Mason Family: Gwendolyn, Lyndon, Anthony, Angela, Bernard, Marion, Rhonda, Stuart and Steven (children of Bolton, Doris, Arnold and Mabel Mason residing in the UK) and the children of Daisy (Janice & siblings); The Vashti Benjamin Family: Emily Simon and sons Miles and Sidney Herman; Robert, Andy, Ainsley, and Melissa Matthew and Winston Gillon, and children Andreya, Robert and Richard Matthew; Robin (Delbert) Simpson and his wife Jessie, and his children Daphne, Patrick, Darryl, Deborah, and Justin Simpson; Victor Nesbitt and his daughter Indira; Kiko Nesbitt son of Albert Nesbitt (deceased); The Eugenie Pigott Family: George Pigott and his children Raydy, Gary and Jindra Pigott and their children and grandchildren; The John Carr Family: Ingram (Rocky) Carr and Waldie Carr and their children; The Viola Harper Family: Keith, Walter, Errol and Joan and their children and grandchildren; The Fernella Fredrick Family: Bruce and Charles JamesThibou and their children and grandchildren; The Neville Carr Family: Joan Carr and her children; The Anthony Family: Jerome and Hyacinth and their children and grandchildren; and Family Friends: Ambrosine, Jeane, Charles, Murphy, Mervin and Vivian Richards, Gary Dublin, Brenda Phoenix, Sharon, Miriam Richards. We would also like to acknowledge the sadness and sorrow of her numerous friends and other extended family. Sonia's family has given the family of Lowe-Neddo Funeral Home the privilege of caring for her and for them. Funeral services will be held at 11 AM on Friday, September 5, 2024, at St Michael Anglican Church, with visitation from 10 AM until the time of service. All services will conclude at the church as Sonia will be cremated and her cremated remains scattered in Antigua. The service was recorded and a link to the recording will be posted as soon as it is available.

Sonia Alberta Cynthia Mason

April 7, 1948 - August 20, 2024