Orrin William Niles - 12/7/19 - 1/22/10
Orrin William Niles was born in Seattle, Washington, December 7, 1919, to Milo and Clara (Bohn) Niles. He attended Phinney Ridge Elementary and graduated from Ballard High School. Orrin served as purchasing officer in the Navy during the 2nd World War. Following his discharge after the War, he worked in the Naval supply department as a civilian.
Our Brother was initiated into Greenwood Lodge No. 253, September 13, 1950. He was passed to a Fellowcraft Mason, October 25, 1950, and raised a Master Mason, November 22, 1950. Bro. Niles was also a member of St. John's Lodge No. 9, and Occidental Lodge No. 72. He was most active in the Royal Arch of the Masonic York Rite, and served as High Priest.
Our brother was a dedicated Mason for 60 years.
Bro. Orrin was loved by all his brethren, and was named an Honorary Past Master by his brothers in Greenwood Lodge. His musical talents on the piano and as an organist were well known as he served fourteen lodges during his Masonic career. Bro. Niles held the office of Grand Organist for two Grand Masters. He received the Grand Master's Achievement Award in 2003.
Besides his Masonry and his music, Bro. Orrin loved to read, study religion and philosophy, and explore old automobiles. The family Model A was both a challenge and inspiration.
Love caught up with Bro. Niles late in life and Elizabeth (Bettie) Roma thoroughly swept him off his feet. They married on New Year's Day, 1992, and a confirmed bachelor of 72 years found an immediate family with Bettie and her five children. They were happily married for ten years before she preceded him in death in 2002.
Our Grand Master WBro. Gale Kenney shares these words: "On several occasions, we have sat down and chatted about Masonry, the lodges that he had played the organ for, his family, the Second World War and life in general. It was heart-warming to see his eyes light up and twinkle as he shared these wonderful memories. It was as though he had transformed into his younger self as he re-lived his life for me in great detail."
Our brother passed to the Celestial Lodge at the age of 90 in Seattle, Washington, on January 22, 2010. He is survived by five stepchildren, Linda Simicich, Virginia Fisher, Mike Roma, Jim Roma, and Ken Roma. Funeral services were held Friday, January 29, at Evergreen-Washelli. Donations may be made to the charity of your choice.
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John Stephen Mead 9/30/33 - 2/1/10
John Stephen Mead was born September 30, 1933 in Spokane, Washington, to parents Steve and Mae Mead. He graduated from North Central HS and soon enlisted in the United States Navy. He served in the Navy for four years as a test pilot and jet mechanic. He served as a troubleshooter for the Blue Angels. John was a man of many interests, and during his career he was a commercial real estate broker and an entrepreneur, successfully and not so successfully investing in a variety of business ventures.
Our brother married Patricia (Butler) and raised three sons: Steve, Larry, and Mike. Following a series of separations and divorces, John married Cheryl (McFadden), united with Nora (Healy), and concluded with ten days of marriage to a fourth lady in his life shortly before his death.
Our Brother was initiated into Century Lodge No. 208, February 2, 1982. He was passed to a Fellowcraft Mason, February 23, 1982, and raised a Master Mason, March 17, 1982. WBro. Mead affiliated with St. John's No. 9 on March 2, 1994. He served as Master of Century Lodge in 1995. Our Brother was a member of the Scottish Rite and the Nile Shrine. He received the Grand Masters Achievement Award for 1993-94.
With WBros. David Moffat and Mike Wilderman, our brother was instrumental in the successful sale of the old Seattle Masonic Temple to the Seattle Community College. Proceeds from that sale greatly benefitted the financial portfolio of this Lodge. Additionally, he spent hours and hours raising money for the hospitals of the Shrine.
WBro. Mead loved anything associated with speed, and over the years took an active part in dragsters and the Pay N Pak hydroplane racing team.
WBro. Mead spent the final four months of his life at St. Joseph's Medical Center in Tacoma. He passed to the Celestial Lodge above on February 1, 2010, leaving his three sons, Steve of Los Angeles, Larry of Mercer Island, and Mike of Las Vegas. His cremated remains are with other Mead family members in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
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Samuel Montgomery Howe 2/18/17 - 1/9/10
Samuel Montgomery Howe was born in Seattle, Washington on February 18, 1917. He served as a Navy pilot in WWII. Following his time in the Navy, Brother Howe worked as a mechanic and as a postmaster for Mercer Island. Upon retiring, he worked the Kingdome as an usher, where he met many other members of the Craft.
Our Brother was initiated into St. John's Lodge No. 9, March 15, 1947. He was passed to a Fellowcraft Mason, April 19, 1947, and raised a Master Mason, May 17, 1947. Bro. Howe was a member of the Scottish Rite and the Shrine. His 50 year service pin was presented June 11, 1997, He was a Freemason for 63 years.
The evening Brother Howe received his 50-year pin, he recalled that he had been active in DeMolay, that his elder relatives had been Masons, including a 33rd degree Mason, and that others whom he admired were also members of the Fraternity.
Just short of age 93, our brother passed away on January 9, 2010, due to cancer, following a mis-diagnosis and treatment for a heart condition. He was preceded in death ten years earlier (5/29/00) by his wife Rosemary. He is survived by a stepson, John. Services were held in his memory in Bellevue, Washington, on January 23.
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Michael Menashe Israel - 2/13/27 - 4/10/10
Michael Menashe Israel was born to Estreya Alhadeff and Morris Israel in the Leschi-Madrona neighborhood of Seattle, Washington on February 13, 1927. His education went from Leschi Elementary to Garfield HS to graduation from the University of Washington, class of 1949 and a member of Alpha Epsilon Pi. From the UW came a call to duty in the US Army Signal Corps as a Morse code operator in the Lesser Antilles and a lieutenant commission in ROTC. WBro. Israel was a partner of Sprague Israel Giles Insurance.
His partner for life was his wife Daisy, and in just a few days following his death they would have celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.
Our Brother was initiated into Ionic Lodge No. 90, May 10, 1948. He was passed to a Fellowcraft Mason, October 20, 1948, and raised a Master Mason, November 24, 1948. He served as Master of Ionic Lodge No. 90 in 1959.
A student at the University of Washington at the time of his initiation, he was a Freemason for 61 years.
WBro. Israel proudly served as trustee of the SAMIS foundation helping to further Jewish education throughout the Seattle Area. He also served on the boards of the Stroum Jewish Community Center, The Pacer Foundation and raised funds for the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle.
At the age of 83, our brother passed away on April 10, 2010. He was preceded in death by his brother David Israel. He will be forever loved and missed by his wife Daisy, sons Maury, Kenneth, daughter and son-in-law Jane and Aaron Rosenstein and grandsons Nathan and Sam. His family includes sister Mary Piha Cohen and husband Leon, brother Jack and wife Marilyn, sister Sara and husband David Franco, and sister-in-law Frances. He also leaves behind a wonderful clan of nieces and nephews, many of whom considered him like a beloved grandfather.
Services were held on Monday, April 12th. Remembrances can be made to the Kline Galland Performing Arts Program, Northwest Parkinson's Foundation or to Herzl-Ner Tamid.
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Glenn Dale Wonders - 4/2/20 - 5/1/10
Glenn Dale Wonders was born April 2, 1920 in Glendale, AZ to William and Bessie (England) Wonders. Glenn attended Longmont High School in Longmont, CO before earning his Bachelor's in Animal Husbandry from Colorado State University. He served in the US Army Medical Service Corps, 511th Airborne, in WWII and the Korean War. He attained the rank of Lt. Col. & retired in 1965. He also worked as an administrator with the Department of Social & Health Services.
Our Brother was initiated into Paul Revere Lodge No. 162, February 11, 1949. He was passed to a Fellowcraft Mason, April 6, 1949, and raised a Master Mason, May 20, 1949. WBro. Wonders affiliated with Elliot Bay Lodge No. 257, March 19, 1973, and served as Master of that Lodge in 1977. He affiliated with Warren G. Harding Lodge No. 260 in 1986 and with Corinthian Lodge No. 38, October 4, 2007. He was a member of the Scottish Rite, the Shrine, the order of Eastern Star, and the National Sojourners. He received his 60 year service pin last year. He was a Freemason for 61 years.
WBro. Wonders enjoyed kayaking, Model T and Model A Fords, baseball, basketball, family, and growing roses. He served as a Rainbow Dad for his granddaughter Elizabeth. His father William John Wonders was also a Master Mason. His late wife Eileen was a Past Grand Matron of the Order of Eastern Star, with Glenn as her Grand Escort. WBro. Glenn was a member of the Gideons, VFW, & Lion's Club.
At the age of 90, our brother passed away on May 1, 2010. He was preceded in death five years earlier by his wife Eileen. Survived by his daughter Glenda E. (Tom) Specht, sister, Mary Margaret Gardner, 5 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren, WBro. Wonders was laid to rest with military honors at the Tahoma National Cemetery, May 11. A memorial service, including Masonic services, will be held at 2pm at the First Lutheran Church of Poulsbo, Washington, June 12, 2010.
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Harry C. Fraser - 11/5/17 - 2/21/10
A recognized national leader in the boiler repair and fabrication industry, Bro. Harry C. Fraser died peacefully at the age of 92, in his La Jolla, CA home on Sunday, February 21, 2010. Harry was born November 5, 1917, in Prince Rupert, Canada. His boyhood dream was to prospect for gold in Alaska. Two weeks out of high school in 1936, he scraped together enough money for a ticket on a steamer heading for Juneau. He hid onboard all the way to Skagway, the jumping off spot for the Yukon gold fields. He quickly discovered that panning for gold in icy rivers and digging in ground frozen seven feet deep was not as exciting as it sounded in the story books. In order to survive, Harry took a job with the Whitehorse & Yukon Railway. With guidance from older workers he soon became an expert at repairing and maintaining the boilers in the steam engines. One of the steam engines Harry worked on 70 years ago is still displayed in the central park in Skagway.
At 29, Harry founded the Fraser Boiler Service in Seattle, which soon set up shop in Spokane, San Diego, and Savannah, Georgia. The Propeller Club presented Harry with a distinguished service award for his lifetime leadership in the maritime industry.
Our Brother was initiated into St. John's Lodge No. 9, April 9, 1949. He was passed to a Fellowcraft Mason, May 7, 1949, and raised a Master Mason, May 28, 1949. He was a Freemason for nearly 61 years.
He is survived by his wife, Connie and his sons, Richard and Harry, Jr., his stepchildren Steven, Brian and Deborah Brown, and from Harry's late wife Ruth Fraser, Kathy Lines, Sandy Carter, Susan Adams, Billie Bernard, Hank Jordan, and Jill Merriman. Surviving relatives also include 18 grandchildren, 19 great-grand-children, and one great-great-grandchild. A memorial service was held February 25th, at Torrey Pines Christian Church, La Jolla, CA.
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Robert D. "Bob" Covach - 12/31/26 - 6/21/10
Robert "Bob" Covach was born in Seattle, Dec. 31, 1926 and passed away June 21, 2010. Raised in Seattle, Bro. Covach spent a good part of his youth at Collins play field on Yesler Way. He graduated from Garfield High School and joined the King County Sheriff's office in 1950. He was promoted to Captain in 1953 and held many positions throughout his career, including Supervising Captain, Chief of the Jail Division, Chief Criminal Deputy and Undersheriff. His accomplishments during his time with the Sheriff's office included receiving the Medal of Valor, organizing and/or helping to create the Underwater Reserve Dive & Rescue Unit, the Motorcycle Drill Team, the Harbor Patrol Unit, and Riot Squad.
Our Brother was initiated into St. John's Lodge No. 9, February 27, 1965. He was passed to a Fellowcraft Mason, March 27, 1965, and raised a Master Mason, June 26, 1965. Brother Covach was a member of the Scottish Rite and the Nile Shrine.
Over the years Bob was active in the Variety Club, a member of WAC, Elks, Eagles, King County Sheriff's Posse, Washington Press Club's Ale & Quail Society, the Seafair Pirates, Rainier Golf Club, and was Co- Provost Marshal of the Shrine National Convention in Seattle. He enjoyed traveling and spent many of his summers in Priest Lake, Idaho.
Bro. Covach is survived by his daughters Robin Bishop (Dave), Linda Mackie (Nick) and grandchildren Bobby, Jamie and Heidi. He was preceded in death by his wife Lory. Services were held at Bonney Watson Funeral Home, Wednesday, June 30, 2010, followed by a celebration of his life at the Nile County Club, Mountlake Terrace. Donations may be made to Seattle Children's Hospital.
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Paul Arthur Wickward - 12/10/23 - 8/14/10
WBro. Paul Arthur Wickward was born on December 10th, 1923 to Leonard T. Wickward and Ellen Hale of Wallace Idaho. Our brother grew up camping, hiking, hunting and fishing in the mountains of Northern Idaho, often packing in on horseback with his grandfather. As a teen, he spent many hours working in his Grandfather Ellis Hale's machine shop, affording him early experience to work the local logging and mining industries.
Paul attended the University of Idaho in Moscow. He was a member of the Sigma Nu Fraternity.
During the war years, our brother worked at Boeing in Seattle. Later, he worked for 30 years as a machinist at Washington Iron Works, building large logging equipment.
Paul was a member of Trinity Episcopal Church in Seattle for 40 years, where he met the love of his life, Grace V. Litster. They were married on August 2, 1958 and recently celebrated 52 years of marriage.
Our Brother was initiated into his father's lodge, Theodore Roosevelt Lodge No. 229, February 13, 1964. He was passed to a Fellowcraft Mason, March 12, 1964, and raised a Master Mason, October 26, 1964. Our brother served his Lodge as Master in 1970, 1983, 1994, and 1997. Theodore Roosevelt Lodge merged with St. John's Lodge No. 9 during his final tenure as Master. WBro. Wickward was a member of the York Rite and Royal Arch Masons. Paul was an active member of the Masons for 46 years.
Paul had a strong work ethic and passed this on to his children as well as his strong belief in giving back to the community. He volunteered for several years with the Sea Scout Ship Propeller and for the Masonic Retirement Home.
WBro. Wickward passed away peacefully at home in Shelton, WA surrounded by family on August 14th, 2010. He was 86 years old. Paul was preceded in death by his beloved orange cat, Kolby of 19 years who passed away quietly at home on July 13th, 2010.
Paul is survived by his loving wife Grace of Shelton, his brother Ellis (Louise) of Spokane, and his three children: Susan J. Holloway and Nancy D. Wickward of Shoreline, WA, and Gordon J. Wickward (Kathy) of Seattle, WA. He leaves his four grandchildren Tori and Katie Holloway and Thea and Paul Anders Wickward.
Services were held Tuesday, August 24th at 2 pm at Evergreen-Washelli in Seattle. 11111 Aurora Ave N, Seattle 98133.
Donations may be made to: Providence Sound Home Care and Hospice (360) 493-5900 or Community Services for the Blind and Partially Sighted (CSBPS).
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Norman Rosenzweig = 12/4/25 - 10/1/10
WBro. Norman Rosenzweig was a man of words, wisdom, faith and humor. He was born in St. Clair, Pennsylvania on December 4, 1925. He served his country during World War II in Belgium and the South Pacific. While stationed in Omaha, Nebraska, he met his future wife of 62 years, Shirley Bloom.
WBro. Rosenzweig received his mechanical engineering degree from the University of Nebraska and remained a Cornhusker fan all his life. He moved to Seattle in 1957 to work as a mechanical engineer for The Boeing Company. Later he would also work for Overly Mfg. and F.T. Crowe Company.
Our Brother was initiated into Ionic Lodge No. 90, September 16, 1970. He was passed to a Fellowcraft Mason, November 18, 1970, and raised a Master Mason, January 27, 1971. Our brother served his Lodge as Master in 1978 and was Ionic's Treasurer in 1980 and Secretary in 1981. WBro. Norman was a Master Mason for 39 years.
Norman and his wife Shirley were founding members of Congregation Beth Shalom, where he served as the first president and lay leader. His love for the written word made him a lifelong learner. He wrote poetry, Jewish commentary, and philosophy. He felt that a man's life should be the sermon which he preaches. For these reasons, he was presented the University of Judaism Award of Merit in 1990. More than anything, he loved his family.
WBro. Rosenzweig battled macular degeneration for many years which deterred his ability to drive to Lodge meetings at night.
Our Brother passed away peacefully on Mercer Island surrounded by his children, following a long battle with Parkinson's disease on October 1, 2010. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife Shirley and grandson Benjamin Zukor. He leaves behind his children; Betty Ziri (Prosper), Michele Zukor (Jack), David Rosenzweig (Karen); and grandchildren Shawna and Allie Rosenzweig and Leslie and Justin Zukor.
His mark on this world will endure. Remembrances can be made to: Congregation Beth Shalom, The Caroline Kline Galland Home, or the Benjamin Zukor Children's Library at Temple De Hirsch Sinai.
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