Photo provided by Marjorie Masterson

 Educator

Born:

January 23, 1930, Florence, Alabama

Died:

January 19, 2000, Huntsville, Alabama

Buried:

Maple Hill Cemetery, Huntsville, AL

Notes:

•  John Aaron Masterson was born January 23, 1930, in Florence, Alabama, the son of Mollie Blair Bowling and Aaron Jackson Masterson. John attended Kilby and Gilbert Schools as a child, and graduated from Coffee High School in 1950. He was one of an active group of young adventurers who were allowed to operate their own Boy Scout troop. They were usually at Camp Westmoreland most of each summer, where John was camper, then counselor, then waterfront director for the camp on Shoals Creek in Lauderdale County. He met Marjorie Cain, of Decatur, when she attended Florence State College (later UNA) in the summer of 1954. They married in 1956, lived in Florence until 1959, then in Tuscaloosa, where he received a Masters Degree from the University of Alabama in 1960, then in Selma, where he served as Supervisor of Instruction for the Selma Public Schools. In 1965, now with four children, they moved back to the Tennessee Valley, to Huntsville, Alabama. John was principal of Davis Hills School 1965-67, served as headmaster of Carl C Parrish School in Barranquilla, Colombia, 1967-68, then went back to Huntsville to open Ed White Middle School. In 1970, he went to Auburn, Alabama to work in the AU Desegregation Center and take graduate courses at Auburn University. In 1971, John took the job of opening Johnson High School, Huntsville, working half-days at Huntsville High School. Johnson opened in 1972. John had hired the faculty and set up the instructional programs, and served there as Curriculum Coordinator until retirement in 1992. As a teacher, he was a charter member of the local chapter of Phi Delta Kappa, and always kept a group of teachers meeting for breakfast on Friday mornings. His interest in public education (and the breakfast meetings) continued until his death in January 2000. His children, all still living in 2012, are Ann Blair M. Huffman of Tupelo, Mississippi, Don L. Masterson of Huntsville, Amy W. M. Overton, Jane G. M Hampton of Huntsville, and John H. Masterson of Fairfax, Virginia. His wife still lives in Huntsville also. - Bio written by his wife, Marjorie Masterson

•  "John Masterson, a lifelong educator and college football fan, often boasted that he had sneaked into every stadium in the Southeastern Conference.
     'Fun. He never underrated the word,' said Bob Crump, teacher at Williams Technology Middle School and former co-worker of Masterson. 'Some of the happiest days of my life were with that crazy man. He is my mentor.'
     Masterson, 69, of Huntsville died Wednesday at a local hospital.
     'He was certainly a vital part of our education community for many, many years,' said Ann Fee, Huntsville city school board member. 'He had an impact on many schools.'
     Crump taught at J.O. Johnson High School when Masterson was assistant principal there. Working with him was unique and re-warding, Crump said.
     'He had a habit of just kind of walking into the back of classrooms while we were teaching,' he said. 'He wouldn't stay more than a minute. He'd just come in with coffee in hand and watch.
     'I'd put in a whole year's work just waiting for that one minute.' Crump said he will remember the hundreds of meetings he and other teachers had with Masterson, how closely he listened to people, how important he made others feel. He approached everyone he met as a friend first, colleague second, Crump said.
     'I'd always hoped he'd come up to me and say I was a long-lost illegitimate nephew or drinking buddy,' Crump said. 'I liked him that much.'
     Masterson's family said he did not believe in segregation by race, class, intelligence or gender, but in equal education for everyone.
     'He was committed to education and dedicated to Huntsville City Schools,' said Susan Anderson, Huntsville city school board member, 'and he will be missed.'
     Masterson was a native of Florence and a graduate of Coffee High School and Florence State Teachers College. He also earned a master's degree in education from the University of Alabama.
     He moved to Huntsville in 1965 to be principal at Davis Hills Middle School, and later Huntsville High School. The city asked him to oversee the opening of Ed White Middle School and J.O. Johnson High school, where he worked from 1973 to 1992.
     'He always said he was blessed for being able to open two schools,' Crump said. 'Not too many people have that opportunity.'
     Masterson was a charter member of the Huntsville chapter of Phi Delta Kappa education fraternity, a member of Epworth United Methodist Church and an Eagle Scout.
     Masterson will also be remembered as an active citizen of his community and of Alabama.
     Since retirement from Johnson High, Masterson and his wife, Marjorie, had traveled the state attending symposiums, lectures and meetings on public issues related to education, tax reform and constitutional reform.
     'Whenever there was a forum, or certain rights were being questioned, you'd just turn around and he was always there,' colleague and friend Ron Harris said. 'He was an activist for truth and for what was right. When he was in a room, there was an integrity there that just made people listen.'
     His family will remember him as a loving and devoted father and husband.
     'Whether it was his school life or family life, he always took the attitude What'd you learn from it?' his son Don Masterson said. 'He never got angry, because he was too busy learning. He was always too busy with life, period.'
     The funeral will be Saturday at 3 p.m. at Epworth United Methodist Church with the Rev. Byron White officiating.
     Burial will be in Maple Hill Cemetery with Spry Funeral Home in charge." - Huntsville Times Tribute

•  "John A. Masterson, 69, of 3128 Searcy Drive in Huntsville died Wednesday at a local hospital. The funeral will be Saturday at 3 p.m. at Epworth United Methodist Church with the Rev. Byron White officiating.
     Burial will be in Maple Hill Cemetery with Spry Funeral Home in charge.
     Mr. Masterson was a charter member of the Huntsville chapter of the education fraternity, Phi Delta Kappa. He was also a member of Epworth United Methodist Church and an Eagle Scout. He was a native of Florence.
     Survivors include his wife, Marjorie Masterson of Huntsville; two sons, Don Masterson of Huntsville and John Masterson of Fairfax, Va.; three daughters, Amy Overton of Sharpsburg, Ga., Ann-Blair Huffman of Tupelo, Miss, and Jane Hampton of Gainesville, Ga.; and 10 grandchildren.
     Memorial donations may be made to the Land Trust of Huntsville and North Alabama, P.O. Box 53, Huntsville 35804; or to Alabama Arise, P.O. Box 612, Montgomery 36101.
     Visitation will be today from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home." - Huntsville Times Obituary


Related Links:

•  Huntsville Times Obituary - Friday, January 21, 2000

•  Huntsville Times Tribute - Huntsville educator Masterson recalled as 'committed', Friday, January 21,2000.

•  I Learned from John - The Wisdom of John Masterson

•  John Masterson: A Celebration - A transcript of John's memorial service.

•  Johnson High School Labyrinth - A farewell to John Masterson in the 20th anniversary edition of the Labyrinth, the Johnson High School literary magazine, May, 1992.

•  Things I Though About After Supper - John's advice to his faculty, dated 3/3/89.