V.W. Bro Leslie Derek Nobes PGReg, PPSGW, PZ
5th March 1932 – 18th January 2016

Les died suddenly and unexpectedly in the early hours of Monday 18th of January 2016 after being admitted into Torrevieja hospital the previous day. He was a founder member of several Lodges including Caledonia Lodge No.68 and was instrumental in its formation. Les´s passing sadly marks the end of an era for the Lodge which has now lost all of its founder members.

Hailing from Portsmouth Les was a Mason of long standing in a Portsmouth Lodge. On moving to Spain, he missed the companionship of likeminded men and so was instrumental, along with others based in the Torrevieja area during the 1980s, in establishing the Masonic community that now thrives in the area. He, together with his wife Pat, who sadly passed away before him, helped to raise the funds needed to create a Lodge by holding garden parties at their home. As a couple, Les and Pat were also the instigators, along with Malcolm and Cynthia Lifton, of the Caledonia luncheon club, now known as The Thistle Club. Les remained on the committee of that club until a few years ago and was a staunch supporter of it. Sadly he didn´t make the January luncheon but he was there to celebrate at Christmas and join in with the carol singing.

Once Masonry grew in the Torrevieja area and the need for a Masonic building was identified, Les was a member of the far sighted group of masons that worked to buy and renovate Sociedad Compás. He was generous in his support of the project and maintained an interest in upkeep and running of the building, holding the office of President for many years until his untimely death.

Les was a very well respected man and Mason who possessed a considerable driving force. In his prime he was recognised for his skill at ritual and he went through many a Masonic chair in a great many of the Orders. Besides the Craft, where he was rewarded for his efforts both at Provincial and Grand Lodge level, Les attained very senior offices in Chapter and the Order of the Secret Monitor whilst also being a member of Mark, Ram, Allied, Scarlet Cord and Operatives to mention but a few.

One of his greatest pleasures was music. Les had a marvellous singing voice and in the early years many a Ladies Night was rescued by Les singing the Ladies Song. As with us all, his voice diminished as the years went by and it was a source of distress to him when his marvellous voice could no longer carry across the room without the aid of a microphone. With his passing our lives will be all the poorer and his dulcet tones and good humour will be greatly missed. Les leaves behind an elder sister and her husband, extended family members from Pat´s family and his many friends here in Spain.

Today, January 11th, marked the funeral in Rojales,of Worshipful Brother Raymond ‘Ray’ Heath, PAGDC, PPJGW of Caledonia Lodge No.68 and other Lodges.

Ray was born in Liverpool on the 10th of April 1938 and pursued a successful career in sales for several major companies finally retiring to Spain with his wife Lydia in 1997 to pursue the outdoor life, enjoying Golf several days a week and latterly playing bowls.

He joined Caledonia Lodge in December 1997 and was installed as Worshipful Master in April 2002 serving until October 2003, later holding a number of Active Provincial Grand Ranks. He was a very capable and innovative Provincial Grand Almoner and received the Diploma of Merit in 2010. He also served as District Grand Almoner of Mark and received Grand Rank in both Orders whilst being an active member of a number of others.

A friendly man, he was always keen to help others and also to give freely of his time and Masonic knowledge to less experienced Masons.

Lately he fell ill and passed to the Grand Lodge above on 6th January.

He will be sorely missed.

It is my sad duty to inform you of the passing to the Grand Lodge above of W. Bro. George Ceasar a member of San Juan de España lodge, the Funeral will take place at Villajoyosa Crematorium, this Monday September 7th at 1.00PM, there will be a wake after the funeral at Restuarante Los Amigos, Calle de La Palma, 14, Benidorm Old Town

Brian Cedric Walker became a joining member of Old Tower Lodge No. 49 on Monday 15^th January 2001 at the age of 64. He had been a regular visitor to the lodge during the previous year and he and his wife Val had attended many of the lodge’s social events.

Prior to moving to Spain, Brian had served for many years as an Officer in the Royal Air Force where he had a very distinguished career. He was a member of Royal Union Lodge No.246, in the province of Gloucestershire and held the office of Junior Warden prior to his departure to Spain.

Brian was an avid supporter and enthusiastic volunteer in the construction of the new Temple at Quesada and put in many hours of very hard labour and on one occasion in particular, worked alongside Mike Savory, Barrie Mansell and Mike Puckett when they wheel barrowed in 12 tons of premix concrete for the bases of the new supporting pillars. Brian and Barrie Mansell had each made a substantial donation to enable the addition of two more supporting pillars, thus making the lodge room considerably longer.

Brian was elected Master of Old Tower Lodge in 2004 and had a very successful year, after which he was awarded Provincial honours with the rank of PPAGDC.

He subsequently became Assistant Secretary and was appointed Secretary in 2007. He continued in that office until ill health caused him to retire a year later.

His health continued to decline and in 2010 he and Val returned home to Gloucestershire where they remained until he was called to the Grand Lodge above.

During the early hours of Sunday morning 8th March 2015, Right Worshipful Brother Peter Simmons, a well-loved Brother in the Province passed peacefully to the Grand Lodge Above. He will be sadly missed and our thoughts are with his wife Rosa and family.

EUOLOGY – By R.W.Bro Neville Jarrett

I first came across Peter Simmons when I applied to join the then resurrected san Juan de España Lodge. He took my Grand Lodge certificate and put it in a file after putting holes I it. We had a few comments and laughs over it.
Now Peter was a very private man, in spite of the his ever open smile and series of jokey comments. It was only bit by bit that I gleaned things about him. We were born only 3 months apart in 1938. When Peter left school he went into a butchers shop to work and it was here that he first had a taste of a hedonistic lifestyle. He was then called up into the army. Then I have a huge gap when he married Joan had children and set about making money when he had a garage selling and repairing cars and selling Petrol
This is when caravanning came into his life.
He then began buying property in Spain and elsewhere.
When I first met him he was already well established in Freemasonry he was in all the Orders and was eventually Deputy Provincial grand master and later I became assistant provincial grand master. We worked closely together in Chapter Sinceridad. Peter role was to begin spreading Freemasonry in the province and in this he was successful. He had the skill to set it up then left it to others to develop the lodge
In his private life he divorced Joan and eventually met and later married Rosamarie. It is coincidental that we both developed cancer at the same time, Peter´s was in his bladder which was eventually removed then on a caravan journey to England he developed a pain in his back which he put down to prolonged driving in an uncomfortable position.
On his return to Spain a Masonic friend, here today, put him in touch with a cancer specialist who eventually diagnosed a tumour on the spine.
Alas this proved very active and it was not long before he was hospitalised several times when on each occasion he was nursed by Rosa Marie very attentively.
It was barely 3 weeks ago that he was re admitted to hospital with severe pain and I spoke to him on the phone the day after he was admitted and his voice by then was weak and over the next week it got even weaker. In pain he was given relief from it and sadly last Sunday in very early hours of it he went to the Grand Lodge above, greatly respected and very much missed.

Peter, May God bless you

Tributes:
Masonic Brother, Neville Jackson
Glynn Walters
Emma Jane Clark