R.I.P John Harris (Jack) Watts

Addendum:

Visitation for John Harris Watts will be from Monday the 14th from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. with the family present at the Slininger-Rossow Funeral home 119 W. Lincolnway in Jefferson, IA with a Masonic Service at 7:00 p.m. 

Funeral Service will be Tuesday at 2:00 at the First United Mehodist Church in Grand Junction, IA 

Burial will be in Jefferson Cemetery Jefferson, IA.

Masonry world-wide has lost an icon today.  John Harris Watts, Past General Grand Master of the General Grand Council Cryptic Masons International departed this earth to take up residence in the Celestial Lodge above this afternoon (November 11, 2011).

I have known Jack for most of my Masonic Life and counted his friendship as a jewel of great value to me.  Through him I have met Masons from all over the world.  I have traveled with him, had lunch with him and enjoyed many conversations.  He always had a joke to tell and he loved the double entendre jokes as did I.  He always told at least one joke during our conversations and while he was e-mail challenged he knew how to use the postal authority and most of his letters came with a Masonic article or a few jokes or cartoons enclosed.

On his 80th birthday in 2007 we surprised him (and that was not easy to do) with a party at the Ames Masonic Temple.  I wrote about it here. Jack lived his Masonry.  Besides being the Grand Secretary/Recorder of the Grand Chapter, Royal Arch Masons of Iowa and Grand Council Royal and Select Masters as well as a Past Grand Master of the Grand Council he was active in so very many Masonic Organizations in the nation and the world.

He went through the 9 year line to become and serve as the General Grand Master, Cryptic Masons International.  He was he Great Chief of the Grand Council Knight Masons (1994) and the Senior Grand Master General (1982-83) of the Knights York Cross of Honour. Past Grand Preceptor of the Holy Royal Arch Knights Templar Priests (1994). He was Past Great Prior of CBCS ( Chevalier Bienfaisant de la Cité Sainte. Knight Beneficient of the Holy City).  A Sovereign of St. Ignatius Conclave, Red Cross of Constantine, a Frater of the Societas Rosicruciana in Civitatibus Foederatis. He was an Associate Regent (OPC) of the Sovereign York Rite College and was a 32° Knight Commander Court of Honour in the Scottish Rite.  He not only belonged to these organizations he was active in them and also in his local bodies.

Jack was a great friend and he was a wonderful and loving husband to his wife Jacqueline. His mother and brother survive him as well as many members of the Head Family who were researched by and written about as he was the family genealogist.

Jack would have been 84 at his next Birthday. (November 27)  Here he is with Barb who shared his birthday but as Jack said not the year.   Soft and Safe to you my brother,  We leave you with these words:

"Something has spoken to me  in the night,

Burning the tapers of the waning year;

Something has spoken in the night,

And told me I shall die, I know not where.

Saying:

"To lose the earth you know, for greater knowing;

To lose the life you have, for greater life;

To leave the friends you loved, for greater loving;

To find a land more kind than home, more larger than earth-

"Whereon the pillars of this earth are founded,

Toward which the conscience of the world is tending-

A wind is rising, and the rivers flow."