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Oscar Frederick Boehringer,
OSM, 1916–2005
Oscar Boehringer was born into an old
Swiss mercantile family. Educated in London, he was initiated, at the age of 21,
in Helvetica Lodge No. 4894, which drew its membership from the Swiss community in London and of which his father had been the founding Senior Warden.
He was Master in 1948 and was for many years the senior trustee of its very generous benevolent fund.
He received London Grand Rank in 1957 and was appointed Grand Standard Bearer in 1965. He was a Founder of City
of London Installed Masters Lodge No.
8220 and a joining member of Jubilee Masters Lodge No 2712.
He became well known in London Masonic Circles, leading to his being elected to the Board of General Purposes in 1970, on which he served until 1992, being its Vice-President in 1982-1983.
He served on three committees of
the Board: External Relations, Staff, and Library, Arts and Publications. He travelled extensively, mainly in Europe, with a command of several languages, and with wide-ranging interests and many contacts world-wide.
Oscar was appointed Chairman of the External Relations Committee of the Board in 1971and served Grand Lodge well in that capacity until his retirement in June 1992. His skill in handling the sensitive relations between Grand Lodges, and his advice and experience were greatly valued by the Board, successive Presidents and Grand Secretaries and many senior Masons overseas.
He was promoted several times in Grand Lodge, reaching Past Grand Sword Bearer in 1989, and received the highest accolade in December 1991 when he was appointed to the Grand Master’s Order of Service
to Masonry, being invested with the collarette and jewel by the MW The
Grand Master himself.
After his retirement from the Board
and removal to the South Coast, he continued to attend his own Lodges and regularly attended at Grand Lodge until
his wife’s increasing frailty made travelling to London difficult.
A cultured man of great integrity, he was of a generation which believed that success in life laid on one an obligation to return something to the community, hence his service to Freemasonry which he regarded
as a great force for good.
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VW Bro Dr Eric Hall, 1932–2005
VW Bro Dr. Eric Hall, Grand Superintendent in and over Buckinghamshire, who died in the early hours of the day of Provincial Grand Chapter in March, had fought a long and painful battle against cancer.
He was initiated in Ionic Lodge No. 4560, Warwickshire and was also a member of
Fly Fishers’ Lodge No. 9347 in Derbyshire, and held Provincial rank in both Provinces.
In Buckinghamshire he was a member of Misbourne Lodge No. 3375 and was Master in 1979, Methuen Lodge No. 631 and Bucks Masters Lodge No. 3305, of which he was Master in 2002.
He was exalted into the Royal Arch
in Misbourne Chapter, of which he was MEZ in 1979 and 1983. He was MEZ of Methuen Chapter in 2002 and of Bucks
First Principals Chapter in 2000.
He was appointed an Assistant Provincial Grand Master in Buckinghamshire in 1999, an office he held until 2004. He became Grand Superintendent in 1998. Dr Hall
was also a member of other Orders.
Eric Hall had been a member of the Committee of General Purposes since it took its new form in 2000.
He graduated in physics from the University of Birmingham, was a Research Fellow of the Royal Society, a PhD
in engineering and a director of several engineering companies until his retirement. Among his varied interests were sword-fencing (he was in his university fencing team) and fly fishing, as well as being a
keen cartoonist.
The Memorial Service of Thanksgiving
at St Giles Church, Chalfont St Giles, was conducted by the Provincial Grand Chaplain, the Rev. Ernest Smart. Grand Lodge was represented by the Grand Scribe E, E Comp Bob Morrow.
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Copyright 2002-2007
MQ Magazine
Web site created by Mark Griffin
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