01/27/2021
Brethren,
The role of the workman has been called and, one Master Mason, Worshipful Brother John Armstrong, has not answered to his name. He has laid down the working tools of life and with them has left that mortal part for which he no longer has use. His labors here below have taught him to divest his heart and conscience of the vices and superfluity of life, thereby fitting his mind as a living stone for that spiritual building, that house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Strengthened in his labors here by faith in God, and confident of expectation of immortality, he has been granted admission to the Celestial Lodge above. His Brethren mourn the passing of a great man and Mason.
Worshipful Brother John āJackā Dana Armstrong was born on December 9th, 1927 in Portland Oregon and passed to the Celestial Lodge on January 15th, 2021. He was Initiated September 12th, 1973, Passed to the Degree of Fellow Craft on October 17th, 1973 and raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason on November 28th, 1973 at Friendship Lodge No. 160 A.F.&A.M. of Oregon. He later affiliated with the Research Lodge of Oregon No. 198 A.F.&A.M. of Oregon and served as Worshipful Master in 1980 and again in 1995. He received the Hiram Award in 2010 from Friendship Lodge No. 160, and again from Research Lodge No. 198 in 2016. Worshipful Bother Jack has contributed greatly to the Craft both through research talks, papers and publications and most notably for his involvement in a group of Masons known as The Innovators. The group was comprised of Masonic Brothers from the Masonic Grand Lodge of Oregon and the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Oregon, Idaho, and Montana, Inc., through the efforts of these Brothers all working together in the spirit of universal Brotherhood Worshipful Brother Jack as the Master of Research Lodge No. 198 with suitable assistance of a number of Brethren was able to help author, introduce and pass legislation on the floor of Oregon Grand Lodge in June of 1997 to officially recognizes Prince Hall Freemasonry for Masonic Communication in Oregon and as a āvital force in many communities in the United States and other countriesā. Worshipful Brother Jack has throughout his life and Masonic journey embodied a strong spirit for equality and our institutionās landmark ideals that all Masons have the right to visit and sit in every regular Lodge and that all men in the sight of God are equal and meet in the Lodge on one common level. His Brethren throughout the Pacific Northwest celebrate his contributions and mourn the loss of a truly Worshipful Brother. š©
His obituary can be viewed at https://obits.oregonlive.com/obituaries/oregon/obituary.aspx?page=lifestory&pid=197595340
