Ronald A. Seale, 33°, Sovereign Grand Commander

The example of a life well lived, governed by the rule
and square is Walter Webber’s true legacy.

Grand Commanders Walter E. Webber, 33°, N.M.J., and Ronald A. Seale, 33°, S.J., enjoy themselves at a Reunion held in the Valley of Chicago in November 2005.

Walter Webber was my Brother in Masonry, my comrade, and my friend. We forged a special bond, likely as a result of sharing many of the same responsibilities and experiences as Sovereign Grand Commanders of our respective Supreme Councils. Knowing many of the same highs and lows that come with this job, Walter and I developed a warm friendship. As such, we spent many hours together “on the job” as well as quality leisure time together.

And so, it was with heavy heart that I learned of Walter’s death. Also with heavy heart, I attended a memorial service on April 30 in Lexington, Massachusetts, at the National Heritage Museum, that magnificent gift to America by the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction.

On a crisp sunny afternoon we assembled to celebrate the life of Illustrious Walter E. Webber, 33°, Sovereign Grand Commander, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction. Members of the Supreme Council, N.M.J., were present as well as representatives from sister Supreme Councils from Canada and abroad. The memorial service was fitting—a beautiful tribute to a beautiful man, and I was honored to be present representing the Supreme Council, Southern Jurisdiction, USA. But mostly, I remembered my friend.

I remember a magnificent weekend touring the Maine coast with Walter and Leslie visiting those special places that fed their spirits and were truly home to the Webber clan. Perched atop black boulders, huge rocks worn smooth by pounding surf over the ages, and looking seaward under the shadow of a lighthouse with no timetable and no place to be is a memory maker.

The sumptuous lobster dinner in the Webber home is a moment not to be forgotten with Walter, under Leslie’s watchful supervision, introducing a Louisiana couple to the joys of New England clams and lobster. None could miss the twinkle in Walter’s eye as he watched my wife, Sunny, and her reaction to steamed clams. Sorry, Walter, no deal!

I remember the many trips and Masonic events, countless formal introductions and ceremonies, hotel lobbies, and banquet after banquet after banquet often lasting way beyond any right-thinking man’s bedtime. I recall the early “morning-after” flights home only to prepare for the next event. As after dinner speakers, Walter and I took turns so many times that we often joked we could trade speeches and never miss a beat!

More importantly, though, I remember Walter’s love, enthusiasm, and passion for Freemasonry and its future. Walter’s optimism and his refusal to countenance a defeatist attitude were trademarks. He would not abide a slacker or pessimist or any Mason who thought our best days were past and who might be content to stand idly by turning out the lights as the Craft came to an ignoble end. Not on Walter’s watch!

Walter lived his Masonry. To him, Masonry was not just a fraternity, an organization to which he belonged and to whom its well being was entrusted for such a brief time. No, Masonry was a way of life—a way of believing and, thus believing, a way of acting. The example of a life well lived, governed by the rule and square is Walter’s true legacy.

And so, Grand Commander, I bid you farewell and may God speed and guide you on your journey home. The Craft will resume its labor and the work will continue so that Masonic Light may burn brightly throughout the land. Amen.

Walter E. Webber, thirteenth Sovereign Grand Commander of the Supreme Council, 33°, N.M.J., passed away on April 22 after an extended illness at the age of 62. He was a resident of Yarmouth, Maine, since 1970, and lived more recently in Lexington, Massachusetts. He also served as president of the National Heritage Museum and as president of the 32nd Degree Masonic Learning Centers for Children.

He was the beloved husband of Leslie M. (MacDougall) Webber for 41 years, father to David S. Webber of Harvard, Massachusetts, Seth E. Webber of Glendale, California, and Elizabeth A. (Webber) Crampsey of Newton, Massachusetts, proud grandfather of Ethan J. and Allison G. Webber, and father-in-law of Sheila Simsarian Webber and Ross Crampsey. He is also survived by a brother, Kent S. Webber of Vienna, Virginia, and a sister, Patricia Mather of Saunderstown, R.I.

Walter lived a full life and will be remembered for his love of family, country, and Freemasonry. He was actively involved in church, legal, business, community, civic, and fraternal matters.

As a practicing attorney, he first joined Jensen & Baird in 1969 and eventually served as the first president of Jensen Baird Gardner & Henry, P.A. He remained “of counsel” until the time of his passing. He was a member of the Cumberland County, Maine, State, and American Bar Associations, and was, by invitation, a member of the American College of Mortgage Attorneys, the American College of Real Estate Attorneys, and was regularly listed in The Best Lawyers in America.

Walter was active in church affairs, serving as a trustee of the Maine Conference of the United Church of Christ for over twenty years. For the First Parish Church in Yarmouth, he had various leadership positions from moderator to chair of the board of trustees and building fund to long-serving president of the ministerial fund.

In business, he was a director of York Mutual Insurance Company, becoming chairman of its board of directors. During that period, York had an unprecedented period of growth and eventually merged with Commercial Union Insurance Company, where he continued on the board of directors until the company was sold.

In September 2003, he was elected to the position of Sovereign Grand Commander of the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction. Previously he had served as the Scottish Rite Deputy for Maine and was instrumental in establishing Portland’s 32nd Degree Masonic Learning Center for Children. He was a Past Master of Casco Masonic Lodge No. 36 in Yarmouth and a member of the York Rite in Portland and St. Bernard Commandery in Boston. He served as a District Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Maine and chaired the Grand Lodge Standing Committees of Finance and Jurisprudence. In 2003 he was recognized by the Grand Lodge of Maine with the Josiah Drummond medal.

He was a past presiding officer of Yates Lodge of Perfection and Maine Consistory for the Portland Scottish Rite Valley and was also a member of Kora Shrine Center. He received the 33° in 1987 and was elected an active member of the Supreme Council, N.M.J., in 1994. In late March he was invested with the DeMolay Legion of Honor at a ceremony in Rhode Island, where he had been active in the youth organization.

Grand Commander Webber will be best remembered for his wit, optimism, and enthusiasm, and the way he built bridges of friendship and understanding.