BUJOR PRELIPCEAN
Past Assistant to the Grand Master, National Grand Lodge of Romania
I write this with a heavy heart, thinking about the exceptional human being and Mason. His CV is widely known, I am sure, as it is present everywhere where they did and will be doing a requiem for Thomas. I will not go further in this direction.
I first met him when he first came to Romania, when I was granted by the Grand Master of the NGLR Eugen Ovidiu Chirovici the honor to organize the visit for Right Worshipful Brother Thomas Jackson and his companion, Brother Wessley Wess. At the time I was the Grand Master’s Assistant, and Brother Tom had for some years now been the First Executive Secretary of the World Conference of Regular Masonic Lodges, a position which he kept until 2014, when he became Honorary President Ad Vitam of this organization. We had very anxiously been waiting for this meeting, as we did not know our Brother’s extra-masonic interests, did not know what to present to such a high-ranking visitor on his first visit to our country, nor did we know his preferences in terms of art, cuisine, entertainment and so on.
It was no small surprise for me to find that Tom was an extremely normal man, with a strong sense of humor, used to go down or up to any diplomatic level required. I was happy to find out that he liked hiking, hunting, fishing, fresh air, good concerts, enjoying touristic attractions – and God knows Romania has no small amount of those – and most of all that he loved to talk to and meet the Romanian Brethren.
Over the course of the visit I was accompanied by my son and Brother Mihai, an excellent English speaker, who an every occasion explained to Tom, using the most beautiful words, the wonderful places we visited and the Fraternal Agapes that were held everywhere we went.
I would like to also thank our precious Brethren from the Constanța, Iași, Vaslui, Suceava, Neamț and Botoșani, who didn’t spare any effort so that this friend and Masonic Brother and his companion could fall in love with Romania and Romanian Freemasonry.
He used to call me a lot from the United States, each time thanking me for the joy of having visited the famous monasteries in Bucovina, for the beautiful lodge ritual meetings in Bucharest, Vaslui, Iași and Botoșani, for his visits to some hunting grounds in Moldova, where he was happy to just look at some wonderful red deer, bears and wild boars.
I thank the Grand Architect of the Universe for the joy and honor of having known the true friendship of a great Man and Mason who helped Masonic Romania more than anyone until now!
It is with the utmost respect that I see your memory through to the Eternal Orient, Beloved Brother Thomas W. Jackson.
WE MOURN, WE MOURN, WE MOURN, BUT WE KEEP OUR HOPE!
