“Choose Joy!” Capturing the life and legacy of Deanna Mason

On October 2, 2021, Viterbo University lost a member of its admissions team to cancer. We have since, however, gained an angel with an infectious laugh and a warm heart to watch over us. That angel is Deanna Mason. Following a joyful funeral service, which took place October 8, at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, stories of Deanna’s life and legacy have flooded the halls and hearts of our Viterbo community. 

Where does one begin to capture a person so full of life, humor, love, and joy, like Deanna Mason? In getting to know her more deeply, through stories and tidbits shared with me by her admirers, I argue Deanna would have opened with a joke. So, here I go. 

Deanna Mason was so involved in her children’s lives. It was stated at her funeral that the reason she took her job in admissions was to help put her sons through college. Her youngest son, Gavin Mason, is a close friend of mine. Well, one time, while having a beer with Gavin, he told me that Deanna asks about me often. I told Gavin, “What? I haven’t met your mom, why would she care how I’m doing?” To which Gavin explained he shared a photo of our friend group with Deanna, and she picked me out right away as being Gavin’s “cute friend.” I laughed, and laughed, and my face turned beet red. 

I think on that story often, and it always makes me smile. But as I learned through the people of Deanna’s life, and wish to share with you, carrying a smile is just a fortunate side effect of experiencing Deanna’s infectious personality. I wasn’t alone, however, in experiencing a product of Deanna’s big heart. 

“Deanna had the best laugh. It was loud, genuine, and truly contagious. Her laugh would fill the entire first floor of Reinhart,” stated Katie Ausen, Visit and Events Experience Coordinator. “No matter what hardships she was facing, and she obviously faced many, she was always ‘all-in’ at work. She loved coming here to spread joy and receive joy.” 

Deanna served as administrative assistant in the admission’s office of Viterbo. At work, Deanna ran a tight ship. No file was without a label, everything had its place, and there was never clutter. This may have been a direct result of the undeniable pressure that comes with being “The Face of The Skogen Family Welcome Center,” as Deanna often referred to herself.  

“In reality, she was our director of first impressions,” remarked Brian Weber, Assistant Vice President, Enrollment Management Director. “She wanted to make sure everyone had a great experience here and that they left knowing Viterbo could be their home away from home. But it wasn’t over the top. It was authentic and real, and it was personal. Deanna was ready to sit there with folks, listen, and connect with them.” 

For many current students, Deanna Mason may very well have been the first face they knew walking through Viterbo’s doors. As administrative assistant, her duty was to take families in, ensure they felt welcome and comfortable, then send them off on a well-crafted tour of the campus. She worked closely with Viterbo student tour guides. 

One of these tour guides was Viterbo alumni, Cale Rauch, who served four years alongside Deanna in the admissions office. “Deanna and I got to spend a lot of time together over my time at Viterbo,” Rauch recalled, “When I didn’t have tours, I would sit and work at the front desk with Deanna. We would just sit and ‘solve the world’s problems,’ one day at a time, with a little bit of the ‘Hot Goss’ around campus.” 

One thing Rauch said he will always carry with him, in addition to a hilarious encounter with Deanna at an Oktoberfest parade, “is her sense of humor, her kind heart, and her smile. [Cale and Deanna] had a great relationship and [he] looked forward to telling her something every single time [he] worked.” 

Deanna cared deeply for the students and faculty she worked with. She very much enjoyed her role in admissions. However, her favorite role was first and foremost the role of a mother. “She loved her children fiercely,” as Weber put it, and she made every second available to her, even lunch breaks, to spend with them. Deanna would often express the pride she felt for her sons Gavin and Dylan, and her daughter Jordan, whom she referred to as “mini-me.” 

Exemplified by her family, Deanna brought positivity, kindness, and joy everywhere she went. This tremendous example was reflected on by Jackie Morris, assistant director of admissions, who shared a story where Deanna’s advice guided her through dark times. 

“One day at work I had gotten some scary health news about someone in my family. I was really struggling. I thought of Deanna and all she and her family faced as she battled cancer, and wondered…how? How did she do it?” Pondered Morris, “I asked her, ‘How do you handle this?’ Deanna grabbed her phone to show me her screensaver. It was a picture of a little girl with the most gleeful smile playing in the rain. The caption read, ‘Choose Joy! Don’t wait for things to get easier, simpler, better. Life will always be complicated. Learn to be happy right now. Otherwise, you’ll run out of time.’ Deanna said.”