We were greatly saddened this week to learn of the death of Worshipful Brother John Robert Finch a member and Past Master of The Loyal Lodge of Industry No 421.
John (75) had bravely battled cancer for many years, showing an astonishing level of courage and stoicism, in the face of his illness. He is perhaps best known to our members as the man who occupied the Master’s Chair in the Lodge for 2 consecutive years during the recent Covid-19 Pandemic.
With all masonic meetings suspended for the first time in the Order’s history, John undertook to hold the Lodge together by organising monthly Zoom meetings to keep channels of communication open. He would create an agenda just as we would for a normal Lodge meeting, and would guide those present through a list of talks, reports and other masonic business; successfully maintaining a sense of normality during one of the most “abnormal” times in our recent history. So great was his enthusiasm for what was then very new technology, he once chaired a meeting from his hospital bed in the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital!
John’s Masonic Career
Hailing originally from the West Midlands, John joined Greville Lodge No 4773 in Warwick on the 18th March 1982 at the age of 35. He served as that Lodge’s Worshipful Master in 1997/8 and remained a subscribing member until 2012. As a result of his long service to Warwickshire Freemasonry he was appointed to the rank of Past Provincial Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies on the 22nd May 2004
Having moved to the village of Bishop’s Nympton, near South Molton, John became a joining member of the Loyal Lodge of Industry No 421 on 5th June 2007 and was installed into the Master’s Chair on the 2nd October 2018. As detailed above he held this post until a successor was finally appointed on 5th October 2020. In recognition of his outstanding leadership and dedication, on the 5th April 2022 the Provincial Grand Master of Devonshire Right Worshipful Bro. Ian Kingsbury JP was pleased to promote John, by way of a very rare field promotion, to the senior rank of Past Provincial Junior Grand Warden.
John was also a member of Fortescue Lodge of Mark Master Masons No. 9, which he served as Worshipful Master (again for a 2 year period between 2017 and 2019) achieving the Rank of PPrGJD in 2021. He was elevated into Fortescue Lodge of Royal Ark Mariners No. 9 in 2014.
Charity Work
During a visit to North Devon District Hospital at an early stage in his treatment, John received a “Box of Kindness” from local Charity ChemoHero (https://www.chemohero.org). This act of generosity, aimed directly at serving the needs of Chemotherapy patients, touched John to the extent that during the remainder of his time as Worshipful Master he set about raising funds to support their work.
The photo above shows John with the Charity’s Co-founders, the late Lisa Wallis BEM and her husband Rob on a cold and windy Fremington Quay where he presented them (socially distanced of course) with a cheque from the Loyal Lodge of Industry for over £800
In memoriam
John’s quiet and unassuming nature, his warm caring personality, his boundless enthusiasm and his wry sense of humour will be sadly missed by all who knew him; but especially by his masonic Brethren who were privileged to see the best of a very special man.
Our thoughts go out to John’s wife Pip and the family at this sad time.
Rest in Peace.
