-by Jeannine Fraser, mother.
Glenn Mason was an extraordinary child who loved life, Michael Jordan and the number 23.
From the day he was born, he managed to touch the lives of everyone he knew with his charismatic charm, warm smile and big heart.
Born on November 7, 1990, to Jeannine Fraser and Glenn Mason, he was a great son to his parents and brother to his younger siblings. He loved his little sisters, gave them great piggy back rides and showed them how to defend themselves. Glenny, as he was called, also loved teasing his sisters, often referring to his sister Gabrielle as “big head”.
Glenny loved spending time with everyone in his extended family, whether it was to go shopping on Fordham Road with his uncle and grandma, going to car shows or watching television with his aunt. No one in his family was to un-cool for him to hang out with. He loved us all.
Glenny had a great sense of humor. He loved putting on a show. At times he would don his favorite Halloween wig, dress up in some of his moms clothing and dance around the apartment. Glenny loved playing tricks on friends and family members, especially his grandmother. He would sneak up on her while she did laundry and yell “Boo” or “Hi grandma” in a deep manly voice.
Glenny was a people person and everyone who knew him always had something great to say about him. “He is so handsome and well mannered,” “You are doing such a good job,” these were some of the comments I, as his mother, heard about Glenny and his siblings.
He loved helping his neighbors, and he would offer to carry their groceries up three flights of steps without their asking.
He was also a typical teenager, his free time was spent playing video games, chatting on the computer, shooting hoops at the park with his closet friends or just hanging-out in their basements talking and listening to music.
It is still hard to believe Glenny is gone. There are still moments when we still feel his presence or expect to see him walk through the door. We have our dark days when we still cry ourselves to sleep and ask why, but we take comfort in the lifetime of memories he left us and we feel blessed that a part of him still lives on through his donation.
Glenny was a generous person. When we were approached to donate his organs, including his corneas, for someone else to have a new lease on life and the gift of sight, it was not a difficult decision to make.
Glenny touched many lives during his short time on this earth. He will forever be missed.