OBITUARIES
EULOGY FOR BROTHER JOHN McLEAN
TEOFIL PIETRANEK
RIGHT WORSHIPFUL MASTER AND BRETHREN, IT IS MY
SAD DUTY THIS EVENING TO BE ADDRESSING YOU WITH A EULOGY CONCERNING
THE DEATH OF OUT MUCH RESPECTED AND FAITHFUL BROTHER JOHN McLEAN
TEOFIL PIETRANEK.
JOHN WAS INITIATED INTO THE
LODGE ON THURSDAY 11TH OF JANUARY 2001. THAT EVENING A NEW TEAM OF
OFFICE BEARERS ALONG WITH A NEW YOUNG RWM PRESIDED OVER THIS LODGE
FOR THE FIRST TIME, AND I FIND IT STRANGELY IRONIC THAT HAVING
INITIATED JOHN INTO FREEMASONRY AS THAT NEW RWM, I AM NOW TRYING TO
COMPLETE THE CIRCLE OF HIS MASONIC LIFE.
JOHN PASSED THROUGH HIS 4
CRAFT DEGREES AND WAS QUICK TO BECOME A KEEN MEMBER OF THE LODGE,
AND WAS ASKED IN 2002 IF HE WISHED TO BE INCLUDED IN THE WORKING
OFFICE BEARERS OF THE LODGE. JOHN IMMEDIATELY SAID NO, AS HE FELT
THAT GIVING RITUAL WAS NOT HIS THING. BUT IF THERE WAS A NEED FOR
SOMEONE TO HELP WITH THE ADMINISTRATION SIDE OF THE LODGE, HE WOULD
BE HAPPY TO COMPLY. BROTHER JOHN PIETRANEK WAS INSTALLED AS
TREASURER ON THE 10TH DECEMBER 2002, AN OFFICE HE HELD UNTIL HIS
DEATH ON THURSDAY 28TH DECEMBER 2017.
JOHN OFTEN SAID IT WAS THE
BIGGEST MISTAKE HE MADE IN FREEMASONRY! BUT REALISTICALLY, JOHN
ENJOYED THE HASSLE WITH BOOKS, SUPPLIERS, TRADESMEN, GAS, ELECTRIC
AND INSURANCE COMPANIES AND THE GENERAL DAY TO DAY RUNNING OF THE
LODGE.
TO SAY JOHN WAS A SAINT
WOULD BE WRONG, HE LIKED NOTHING MORE THAN TO WIND UP CERTAIN
INDIVIDUALS, MYSELF BEING NEAR THE TOP OF THAT LIST. BUT HIS
DEDICATION TO THIS LODGE WAS NEVER QUESTIONED. INDEED BRETHREN,
AFTER THE LODGE SUFFERED SEVERE DAMAGE A FEW YEARS AGO, I'M WALKING
ROUND THE CORNER OF THE LODGE TO FIND JOHN UP ON THE ROOF ALONG WITH
AN ASSESSOR, AND THEN HE MANAGES TO GET A FURTHER £800 TO HELP PAINT
THE TEMPLE.
MY OWN PERSONAL FAVOURITE
STORY, IS, AFTER GIVING JOHN A TILL RECEIPT FOR MORRISON'S WITH
SEVERAL ITEMS ON IT. JOHN GOES UPSTAIRS MUMBLING TO HIMSELF. FIVE
MINUTES LATER HE BOUNCES DOWN THE STAIRS FAIR PLEASED HE CAUGHT ME
OUT, SHOUTING TO EVERYONE ABOUT NOT PAYING FOR MY GROCERIES. ASKING
JOHN WHAT HE WAS ON ABOUT, HE POINTS OUT THE DENTURE TABLETS HALFWAY
DOWN THE LIST. SO I TOOK GREAT PLEASURE IN TELLING HIM I HAVE GOT
ALL MY OWN TEETH AND THE TABLETS ARE FOR CLEANING THE GLASS WASHER!
JOHN ABOUT TURNS AND GOES BACK UP THE STAIRS. BRETHREN, THE LESSON I
LEARNED THAT DAY WAS THAT JOHN DIDN'T JUST SIGN CHEQUES, HE ALSO
CHECKED WHAT HE WAS SIGNING FOR!
BRETHREN, I VISITED JOHN ON
THE DAY BEFORE HE DIED, AND I WILL ALWAYS BE CONVINCED HE KNEW I WAS
THERE, AND WHEN BROTHER STEWART DONALDSON BROKE THE NEWS TO ME ABOUT
JOHN'S DEATH, ALL I COULD SAY WAS THAT WE HAD LOST A CLOSE PAL, AND
THIS SAD LOSS WILL BE FELT WITHIN THIS LODGE FOR A LONG TIME TO
COME. JOHN'S DEALINGS WITH THE BOOKS BROUGHT HIM NOTHING BUT PRAISE
FROM THE PROVINCE AUDITOR AND THE STOCK TAKER, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY,
YOU BRETHREN WHEN GIVING HIS ANNUAL REPORT.
JOHN LEAVES BEHIND HIS WIFE
IRENE, THREE CHILDREN AND THREE GRAND CHILDREN, AND IT IS OUT DUTY
BRETHREN TO SUPPORT THEM, NOT ONLY TOMORROW BUT FOR AS LONG AS IS
REQUIRED.
AS I SAID BRETHREN, I FIND
IT QUITE IRONIC ADDRESSING YOU ON AN EVENING WHEN A THIRD DEGREE IS
BEING WORKED. WHEN THE LODGE IS RAISING THE BROTHER THIS EVENING TO
THE THIRD OR HIGH AND SUBLIME DEGREE OF A MASTER MASON, I WOULD ASK
YOU TO REFLECT ON THAT PART OF THE RITUAL WHERE OUR MASONIC
TEACHINGS TELL US THAT DEATH IS NOT A CAPTIVE, BUT A CONQUEROR, AND
AN UNSEEN ARM WILL SUSTAIN YOUR SINKING HEAD.
WELL DONE JOHN McLEAN
TEOFIL PIETRANEK, THOU GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT, ENTER THEE INTO
THE JOY OF THE LORD.
ADDRESS GIVEN BY BROTHER
IAN STEWART PM.
