We are sad to advise of the passing of WBro Gilbert Williamson PProvJGW to the Grand Lodge Above on 24th November 2023. Gilbert was a kind and much respected brother who had suffered illness with great bravery and dignity.
As a well known member of the Provincial Office team, he served in many roles including Provincial Grand Assistant Secretary from 2020 -22 and was greatly involved with the management of the building at Sheaf Close, Northampton.
Gilbert was initiated into England's Centre Lodge No 2555 in 1981 and served in many offices, including Worshipful Master in 2008 and again in this current year. He also served various periods as Lodge Treasurer and Secretary and was a member of the Northamptonshire and Huntingdon Lodge of Installed Masters No 3422, Lock Stock and Barrel Lodge No 9984, and in the Royal Arch, he was a member of St John's Chapter 3972.
In 2019, he was appointed as Provincial Junior Grand Warden and in the Royal Arch held the rank Past Provincial Grand Sojourner.
PProvGM, RWBro Max Bayes gave this tribute;
"Gilbert was born in the Queen Eleanor district of Northampton. He was very bright, went to university, got his degree and then served articles to qualify as a Chartered Accountant. He was employed by Coopers & Lybrand and I first met him when he was about 24 years old and he came to Mixconcrete to carry out the audit. Subsequently he came to work with WBro John Cox and myself at Mixconcrete as the Internal Auditor.
The company had over 100 operating units around the country and Gilbert and I visited them regularly to ensure that company policy was being followed. This meant that over a number of years we travelled thousands of miles together, staying in hotels and eating and drinking together. Gilbert, mainly did the eating, and I mainly the drinking !
In around 1980, Gilbert did some part-time bookkeeping work at The Saints RFC, and there he met WBro Don White, PAPGM and in 1981, Don proposed him into Freemasonry in England's Centre Lodge.
The Mixconcrete Group was taken over in 1982 and we all went our separate ways, with Gilbert going to work in the City. He had great success as a merchant banker and travelled extensively around Europe. Masonry took a back seat during these years, but in 2008 he became Master of his Lodge. It was around this time that he decided to take up the challenge of his increasing weight, which he managed to roughly halve, showing great determination.
After some years of banking he had a rethink about life and decided to give up the high pressure business, working locally again as a bookkeeper, before retiring in 2010. He was then able devote more time to Freemasonry and joined several of the Companion Orders. In 2020, he become Assistant Provincial Grand Secretary, but later asked to be relieved of his duties after suffering the beginning of his health problems"
REQUIESCAT IN PACE
WBro Gilbert certainly lived respected and died regretted, and will be greatly missed by all who knew him.
We have received this from Gilbert’s relatives confirming his funeral details. The funeral will be on the 20th December 2023 at 10am and is at the Nene Crematorium, Doddington Rd, Wellingborough NN8 2NX with the wake held at Sheaf Close.
The wake will be after the funeral at 11.30