Raymond J. "Raybo" Mason, age 65 of Scituate passed away peacefully on Tuesday October 5, 2010 from A.L.S. A devoted husband and father, Ray is survived by his beloved wife of 30 years , Mary (Bruen) of Scituate, son Sean and his wife Vanessa of Melrose , daughter Meredith of San Diego, son Colin of Scituate, daughter Katie of Scituate, and Michelle Flynn of Cambridge. Ray also leaves behind 2 sisters Mary and Judy, two brothers Michael and Pat as well as many nieces, nephews and friends. Ray was born in Buffalo, NY and was raised in Rochester and Geneseo, NY. He was a proud veteran of the United States Air Force.

Empowered by a promise to help families in need Mr. Mason dedicated his professional life to creating what he saw as needed change in the field of human services. A true pioneer, Ray designed and implemented the first comprehensive, home-based treatment model in the country. Combining clinical services with wrap-around services his model was effective for connecting with and impacting the most hard to reach families. His innate ability to recognize strengths in families and help them build on those strengths was a gift that he utilized with all of the families he worked with over the years. His work became the creation and cornerstone of a movement in mental health circles that dramatically changed how professionals viewed and worked with clients.

One of the youngest Regional Directors at the Department of Youth Services, he ended his career with the State in 1981 in the Greater Boston Region. He then ventured into the Non Profit Sector as Founder and Executive Director of Family Continuity Programs Inc. (FCP). Ray created FCP not as an agency but as a philosophy of how services should be respectfully delivered to troubled families. Under his leadership F.C.P. grew from a single program in Beverly, MA to a multi-state affiliate effectively serving and positively impacting thousands of families. Regardless of how much FCP grew over the years, Ray remained involved on a grass-roots level with both the programs and the families they served, always staying true to his promise. After fifteen years at the helm of F.C.P. Ray stepped down and became an independent consultant for human services agencies. He finished his professional career with South Shore Mental Health where he implemented his model of home based family treatment with a clinical outreach team. Ray's unwavering commitment to the families he served coupled with his passion for the important work he did forever changed the field of human services.

With a heart seemingly bigger than life itself, Ray's personality truly captured the essence of life. Working hard and playing hard he was always focused on living for the moment and absorbing all of life's precious gifts. A heart of gold, Ray looked forward to the Christmas season, where he was Santa for the last twenty years at Christmas in the City a Celebration for over 4,000 homeless children and families in Boston. Whether you knew Ray for years or only met him a few times he undoubtedly impacted your life. His love for life, people and family was infectious. When you were around Ray you could not help but smile as he always made you feel like you were the most important person in the world. Simply put everyone loved to be around 'Raybo'. He will be deeply missed by all those that loved him. The spirit of Ray will live on forever in the hearts of those he touched.

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