A farmer's son turned dentist, Leonard Mason spent decades collecting championships in more sports than most people play. Born June 21, 1913, Len passed away December 23, 2002.

Ask anyone about sports in Norfolk between the first and second world wars, and you are bound to hear about the Mason brothers of Townsend Township. All five sons of William Mason and Mary Tisdale -- Lawrence, Clifford, Willis, Harold and Leonard -- were local all-stars of that era. Eventually his brothers moved elsewhere, but Len settled in Simcoe, where he extended his winning streak.

High scores in high jump, shot put, standing broad jump, triple jump, pole vault and relay made Len Simcoe High's junior track and field champion in 1927 and senior track and field champion in 1931.

Len's 1931 Simcoe High Hockey team went to the Town League semi-finals. He also played on the school's softball and football teams that year.

For over a decade, 1927-1939, he played first base in the Simcoe Softball Town League on teams sponsored by J. B. Jackson, American Can and others. All five  Mason brothers -- Lawrence, Cliff, Willis, Harold and Len -- played on the 1929 and 1930 J. B. Jackson championship teams. Len's Nobler Team won the 1936 Townsend Softball Championship. Typical mid-1930s Simcoe Reformer game reviews were headlined:  "Two Homers for Len ... eliminates Preston from O.A.S.A. play" and "Len does it again."

His University of Toronto Faculty of Dentistry team won their Interfaculty Softball Championship in 1936, with Len catching. He won the Town League batting champion in 1939 with a batting average of .447.

Len was the U of T Faculty of Dentistry champion high jumper in 1932, 1934, 1935 and 1936, champion shot putter in 1936, and a member of its championship relay team in 1934. He was the Faculty's lightweight wrestling champion in 1933, 1934 and 1935. Len's Dentistry Soccer team won the Inter-faculty Championship in 1936. The following year he took silver in Inter-faculty Rifle competition. Len was president of the inter-faculty boxing, wrestling and fencing athletic committee in 1934 and 1935.

President of the Simcoe Juvenile Softball League in 1939, Len coached and managed the Simcoe Lions Club Juvenile Softball Team to the Town League Championship in 1943. As chairman of Simcoe Lions Club's Softball committee, circa 1952-55, he organized the annual Ontario-wide Victoria Day Senior Ladies Softball Tournament.

After marrying Betty Todd in 1940, Len leaned more to co-ed sports. A 30-year member of the Simcoe Curling Club and its president in 1963, Len skipped teams that won the men's Hotson Trophy in 1958, mixed Seagram Trophy in 1959 and 1960, the Hamilton Thistle Club International Invitational mixed bonspiel in 1964, Brantford's mixed bonspiel in 1965, and the Ontario Dental Association Championship men's bonspiel in 1971.

A Simcoe Bowling League player for approximately 10 years, Len's high triple score of 949 stood as a local five pin record for two years, circa 1950-1952.

A golfer for over half a century, Len was men's section captain at Norfolk Golf and Country Club in 1955 and 1956. In 1965 and again in 1971, he scored a hole in one at the Norfolk Golf and County Club.

Len was a founding committee member of our Sports Hall of Recognition in 1996. He still golfed, in his 89th year.

Len was inducted into our Sports Hall of Recognition in 2002.