A man for all seasons,

Horace Mazet's ashes to be scattered at sea

Horace Mazet, known to his many friends as Mazie, was a man for all seasons. He died at his Monterey residence on May 17 at the age of 98.

In many ways, Mr. Mazet was larger than life, both in physical stature and in accomplishments in the fields of aviation, writing, poetry, photography and world travel.

A native of New York City, he was born Nov. 6, 1903. He received two B.A. degrees, one from Brown University and one from the Columbia School of Journalism.

He served in the U.S. Navy as an aviator, transferring to the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II as an officer pilot. He retired from the Marine Corps Reserve in 1963. Between 1955 and 1964, he participated in extensive exploration in remote parts of East Africa and Kenya to French Equatorial Africa, capturing recalled adventures in short stories he wrote later. Converted by conscience from big game hunting, he went on a photographic expedition around the world, photographing indigenous peoples and even in his early 90s visited Antarctica.

In his earlier years, he was a photographer and sound engineer for the movie company which took African background films for the old Tarzan movies and also served as a Hollywood extra and stuntman.

One of his books, "Shark! Shark!", written in collaboration with Capt. William F. Young, was named one of the best books of 1932 by Scribners magazine and was given a full page spread in the New York Times Book Review. It was published in France, also. "Shark Fishing Off the Great Barrier Reef" followed, written with Robert Hale, and "Tigers of the Sea" with Charles G. Muller rounded out his shark books which brought him recognition as a shark expert.

"Wild Ivory", a novel, was well received, and one of his best short stories was published in "Half a Hundred Tales by Great American Writers." He had literally hundreds of articles and short stories published in American magazines, such as The Saturday Evening Post, Story, and Esquire, and many news papers, including the New York Times, the Marine Corps Gazette, Los Angeles Times and Brooklyn Daily Eagle. He was an award-winning poet, as the many blue ribbons he displayed in his bookcases attested. For many years he was a member of the Carmel-by-the-Sea dedicated poets' group, Hubris.

He enjoyed model shipbuilding, woodcarving and painting.

Mr. Mazet was a Fellow in the Royal Geographical Society, a docent emeritus at the Monterey Maritime Museum and had volunteered over 2,000 hours as a guide at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. He was a life member of the California Association of Realtors and resided in Carmel Valley for many years.

He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Linda Mazet of Big Sur; stepson, Charles T. Long of Maryland; two stepdaughters, Lauren Long Shaver of Powell, Ohio; and Helen Martha Long Hayden of Carmel; three step-grandchildren and two nephews. He also leaves behind his longtime friend and care provider, Leo Lukenes of Seaside.

Private family services will be held, and following cremation under the direction of Paul Mortuary, his remains will be scattered in the sea he so loved.