Thursday, August 18, 2011

Brother Nelson King (1945-2011)

It is with much sadness, that we learn of the passing of Brother Nelson King. Bro. King is probably best known as the editor of the Philalethes magazine from 1994 though 2009. His devotion to Freemasonry had no bounds. He will be very much missed.

My condolences go out to his family.

Bro. Nelson's resume says it all (from his website):

Personal

Born June 13, 1945 in Montreal, received his primary education in Perth Ontario, and graduated from Banting Institute, University of Toronto, 1967. Married to Ellen, and has two children, Christopher, and Victoria and two granddaughters. Nelson was appointed Assistant Editor in 1992 and Editor in August 1994] of The Philalethes Society Journal of Masonic Research and Letters, the first non-United States Citizen to hold these positions.

He is also only the second Mason to ever hold the position of President and Editor of The Philalethes at the same time. He retired as Editor in June 2009. Nelson is a well-known Masonic speaker, having spoken in the jurisdictions of Alberta, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Costa Rica, Cuba, The District of Columbia, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Jamacia [EC], Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Nova Scotia, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Quebec, Texas, Virginia, and Washington.

Nelson developed the highly successful Internet Masonic Leadership Course. His book "Confessions of a Born Again Fundamentalist Freemason" has become a Masonic Best Seller. VoicePrint®, The National Broadcast Reading Service Inc. an international broadcasting reading service for the visually impaired has recorded some of his historical articles. Nelson was instrumental if the formation of the Masonic Relief for Cuba Committee. And he serves as the Executive Director of that program. He is also one of the few Canadian Freemasons, listed in latest Edition of the "Who is Who of Freemasonry.


Masonic

Gran Logia de Costa Rica [Honorary Member]
Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Connecticut [Honorary Member]
Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Ontario and Jurisdictions [Honorary Member]
Birch Cliff Lodge No. 612 GRC Scarborough. Served as Master in 1990. [Demitted]
True Briton's Lodge No. 14 GRC. Perth Ontario
Orient Lodge No. 339 GRC [Honorary Life]
Scarborough Chapter R.A.M.
Toronto Valley, Lodges of Perfection and Rose Croix A.A.S.R. [Life]
Moore Sovereign Consistory A.A.S.R. Hamilton [Life]
York Council No. 133 Allied Masonic Degrees of the United States of America [Sovereign Master 1996]


Member of the Following Research Lodges or Societies

Allen E. Roberts Chapter The Philalethes, Boston, Massachusetts [Charter Member]
Cercle de Grasse Tilly, The Philalethes, Paris France [Hon. Life]
Civil War Lodge of Research No. 1865, [Charter Member] Grand Lodge of Virginia
Cornerstone Computer Chapter, The Philalethes on CompuServe [President 1993-1995]
Dr. Charles H. Wesley Masonic Research Society, Dayton Ohio
Fiat Lux Lodge of Research No. 1980 Grand Lodge of Alberta
Frontier Army Lodge of Masonic Research, Grand Lodge of North Dakota
Kansas Lodge of Research, Grand Lodge of Kansas
Heritage Lodge No. 730 GRC. [Life]
Illinois Lodge of Research, Grand Lodge of Illinois
Iowa Research Lodge No. 2. Grand Lodge of Iowa [Hon. Life]
Jean Scot Erigène Lodge of Research, Grande Loge de France [Hon Life]
John Ross Robertson Chapter, The Philalethes, Toronto Ontario [Life]
Leicester Lodge of Research No. 2429, United Grand Lodge of England
Louisiana Lodge of Research, Grand Lodge of Louisiana
Manchester Lodge of Research, United Grand Lodge of England
Missouri Lodge of Research, Grand Lodge of Missouri
Northern California Lodge of Research, Grand Lodge of California
Ohio Lodge of Research, Grand Lodge of Ohio
Habonim Chapter The Philalethes, San Francisco, California [Charter Member]
Oklahoma Lodge of Research, Grand Lodge of Oklahoma
Phoenixmasonry Masonic Museum and Library
Quatuor Coronati Lodge No. 2076, United Grand Lodge of England [Correspondence Circle]
South Carolina Masonic Research Society, Grand Lodge of South Carolina
Southern California Research Lodge, Grand Lodge of California
The Philalethes Society [Life] [Fellow]
The Phylaxis Society [The Prince Hall Freemasons Research Society] [Life] [Fellow]
Prometheus Chapter The Philalethes, Thessaloniki, Greece [Honorary Member]
Victoria Lodge of Education and Research, Grand Lodge of British Columbia
Virginia Research Lodge No. 1777, Grand Lodge of Virginia [Fellow]


Masonic Honors & Awards

September 1992 Elected member of The Masonic Brotherhood of the Blue Forget-Me-Not, an international Masonic Educators and Writers Society
October 1993 Elected a Fellow of The Philalethes Society
February 1994 Recipient of The Philalethes Society Distinguished Service Medal
February 1995 Recipient of the 1994 Certificate of Literature, Washington DC
February 1996 Elected to Board of Directors Masonic Leadership Center at The George Washington Masonic National Memorial. Alexandria, Virginia
April 1997 Appointed to the Board of Directors of The Masonic Brotherhood of the Blue Forget-Me-Not - Served 11 ½ years as Executive Secretary
March 1998 Elected a Fellow of The Phylaxis Society
March 1999 Jerry Marsengill Lecturer, The Iowa Lodge of Research No. 2, Grand Lodge of Iowa
November 1999 The William James Dunlop Award, The Heritage Lodge No. 730, Grand Lodge of Canada, in the Province of Ontario
February 2000 Installed as President The Philalethes Society
March 2000 The Prince Hall Civil Rights Activist Award
March 2000 27th Phylaxis Society Anniversary Award presented to Nelson King and The Philalethes Society.
April 2000 Grand Master's Leadership Award 1999 - 2000, Grand Lodge of North Carolina
June 2000 Proclaimed a Fellow of Virginia Research Lodge No. 1777 Grand Lodge of Virginia
September 2000 Elected an Honorary Member Gran Logia de Costa Rica
February 2001 Proclaimed a Member of The Society of Blue Friars
March 2001 Proclaimed a Knight Grand Cross, Order of the Temple of Solomon, Grand Lodge of North Carolina.
April 2002 The Duane E. Anderson Excellence in Masonic Education Award - Gold Medal, The Grand Lodge of Minnesota
May 2004 The 7th Annual Sam Houston Lecturer, Holland Lodge No. 1, Grand Lodge of Texas
October 2004 Humanitarian Award, The Gran Logia de Costa Rica, and Government of Costa Rica
March 2005 Inducted into Phylaxis Society Harry A. Williamson Hall of Fame. [Prince Hall]
October 2005 Elected Honorary Member Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Connecticut
October 2006 Elected Past Grand Master [Hon] Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Connecticut
September 2007 Scottish Rite of Cuba, Santiago de Cuba, dedicated the 30th Degree Class to Nelson King
March 2008 Election as an Honorary Member Logia Humanidad Stantigo De Cuba approved by Gran Logia de Cuba.
March 2008 Made a Member of The Past Grands Masters' Association of The Grand Lodge of Kansas
August 2008 Elected Honorary Member Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Ontario and Jurisdictions
March 2009 Elected Honorary Member of the Gran Logia de Cuba

1 comment:

Chris said...

I will miss Nelson. I will remember him for his work on getting medication to the needy in Cuba. The fraternity has had a bright light go out with his passing.