Wednesday, September 30, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Obituary COVID-19: When will pandemic numbers turn the corner? Mason Warren Darling April 7, 1984 — September 10, 2020 Mason Warren Darling passed away on September 10, with his loving wife, Kaitlyn Darling, by his side, after his brave battle with ALS. Mason was born in McCall, Idaho, on April 7, 1984 to Sharyl and Mark Darling. Mason grew up in the backcountry of Idaho, graduating from McCall- Donnelly High School, where he met his wife, Kaitlyn. After school, they moved to Sisters, where they lived for 15 years. They were married in 2012. Mason lived and breathed the outdoors, never passing up an opportunity to go snowboarding, snow- mobiling, hunting, or fish- ing. Mason started his own business, Moon Mountain Masonry, in 2017 and was known for his hard work and honesty. He was the best example of living life to its fullest and loving with all his heart. His passion for hunting, working hard, and having fun was only beat by the incredible love he had for his family. Even with the decline of his disease, he always kept the sparkle in his eye that so many loved and cherished about him, and his love for his family was ever present. Mason, Kaitlyn, and their boys just moved back to Idaho in 2019 to be close to family and settled in Emmett. Mason poured his heart into remodeling their new home with his dad, Mark, working by his side until it was just how he and Kaitlyn dreamed. Mason was the type of person who could be best friends with a stranger in a matter of minutes. He was never afraid to take risks and push the envelope in any way he could. He played and worked hard, and he loved even harder. To be a friend or family member to Mason meant he was only a phone call away, no matter what you needed. Mason is preceded in death by his grandfather, Alvie Dunning; mother, Shery Allen; and brother, Dylan Darling, who all Continued from page 11 With Oregon9s reopening enacted on June 5, 31 of 36 Oregon counties entering the state9s defined Phase II status, cases rose significantly. suffered from ALS. He is also preceded by his grand- father, Arthur Darling; and grandmother, Rosie Darling. Mason is survived by his wife, Kaitlyn; sons, Milo and Waylon; father, Mark (Rebecca) Darling; sister- in-law, Sedonia Darling; nephews, Ole, Alder; grand- mother, Ruthie; grandfather, Bob; as well as his aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews and in-laws. Since his diagnosis, the incredible outpouring of love and support from so many family and friends was so very appreciated by Mason and his family. It was a testament to Mason9s personality, character, and impact on others that so many stepped up to help and support him and his family in any way they could. A service will be held later this year in Emmett, after hunting season, so all of Mason9s closest bud- dies will be able to attend. Kaitlyn and the rest of Mason9s family want to thank everyone for all the love and support they have felt over the last few months. Charitable donations can be offered to the ALS foun- dation in Mason9s name to help find a cure for the dis- ease that has taken too many loved ones too young. Week Start Week End Total Cases 17-May 24-May 31-May 7-June 23-May 30-May 6-June 13-June 302 409 800 1,269 Afterward, cases continued to rise dramatically; the week of July 5, peaking at 2,456. To flatten the case uptick, on July 1, Governor Brown proclaimed the statewide mask/enhanced safety regu- lations. This produced a major, statistically predictable decline in the number of total Painted Lady cases and hospitalizations Since August 23, total weekly cases have flattened, averaging 1,412 per week. This level is similar to total cases in mid-June, before the mask/enhanced safety mea- sure proclamation. We are going into the fall now when influenza increases historically, in part, due to schools reopening as well as people being in closed quar- ters. Within Oregon, we have much difference with in-per- son/online school attendance. Providing a proven calcu- lation for entering a compara- tive number of cases seen in the