Celebration of life planned for longtime downtown Camas business owner, ‘Painless Ric’

The family of Ric Mason – better known to many locals as “Painless Ric,” the owner of Painless Ric’s Tattoo Parlor – will host a celebration of life for the longtime downtown Camas business owner from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 6, at the Black Pearl on the Columbia, 56 S. First St., Washougal.

Mason, 65, died Jan. 23, just a few weeks after being diagnosed with lung cancer. His daughter, Ciarra Godson, broke the news on her father’s social media accounts and said the family was devastated.

“This cancer was vicious and fast,” Godson wrote. “We are in an absolute state of shock losing such a wonderful human being.”

Mason was “a staple in downtown Camas,” Godson said, having opened his tattoo shop in 1988 – long before downtown Camas made its transformation from the center of a small mill town to a destination for shoppers and diners.

“His shop is the longest-running tattoo shop in Clark County and he has won countless awards throughout his career,” Godson said. “I know he has touched so many lives through his tattooing.”

Downtown Camas Association Executive Director Carrie Schulstad broke the news to other downtown Camas business merchants this week.

“I have known Ric since I had my gift shop next door in 2004, and he was always friendly and kind and he watched out for me if I was leaving the shop when it was dark. … We were shocked to hear the news and are sad to lose him in downtown,” Schulstad wrote in her email to downtown Camas business owners.

Godson said her father’s tattoo shop was his “pride and joy.”

“It made it through a recession and COVID-19,” Godson said. “Before his passing, my father asked me to take over Painless Ric’s, and I am ready to keep his legacy going.”

Mason’s family has established a GoFundMe (gofundme.com/f/painless-ric) to help Godson keep Painless Ric’s running. As of Tuesday, Jan. 26, nearly 60 donors had contributed $5,800. Godson has also asked Painless Ric’s clients to share tattoos they’ve received from her father on the Painless Ric’s Tattoo, Inc. page on Facebook.