A Lee County School Board member was killed in an overnight house fire.
Police say Marcus Mason, 59, was found dead inside his home on Wednesday.
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Firefighters were called to reports of a house fire around 2:30 a.m. on Summerset Place. As crews worked to put out the flames, officials said they found a person who had died in the fire. Sanford police detectives were called to investigate the death.
The Lee County School Board website has Mason's name and address listed as the same address where the fire happened.
"He was someone who quietly cared deeply about others," said Lee County school board member Sherry Lynn Womack in a statement sent to WRAL News. "He loved this community and mattered to many more people than he probably ever realized. We will greatly miss his curiosity, compassion, and dedication to serving others."
Mason was sworn into the school board back in January.
His family told WRAL News he moved back to Sanford, into the home he grew up in, to care for his mother who has since died. They call it devastating seeing the family home reduced to rubble.
Mason's Pastor Thomas Smith of First Calvary Baptist Church, says Mason attened the church since he was a child.
"I received the news from my Deacon chairman around six this morning, and it was just simply devastating," Smith said.
Smith said he had just seen Mason days before the fire.
"We saw Marcus on Sunday," Smith said. "He was at church as he generally is. He is one of our high school Sunday school teachers."
According to Smith, Mason dedicated his life to helping other especially young people.
"We just had no idea that anything like this would affect us in such a quick and devastating way," he continued.
Officials said the cause of the fire is under investigation.