Nelson King (1945-2011) RIP

Brother Nelson King passed away peacefully this morning, August 17, 2011, according to a brief statement by his wife Ellen and his daughter Vicki Rout. Nelson had fallen and was hospitalized over the weekend. He was released to go home Sunday, but fell again, breaking his right shoulder and collarbone, and was readmitted yesterday.

UPDATE: There will be a visitation on Friday August 19, 2011 between 7:00 pm and 9:00 pm at Ogden Funeral Homes, 4164 Sheppard Avenue, East Scarborough Ontario M1S 1T3. There will also be a Masonic service and memorial reception on Saturday August 20, 2011 starting at 2:00 pm at Ogden Funeral Homes, 4164 Sheppard Avenue, East Scarborough, Ontario M1S 1T3
There will be a notice posted in the Toronto Star on Thursday August 18 and Friday August 19.

Nelson served as editor of the Philalethes Magazine from 1994 through 2009. On a personal note, he kindly served as the technical editor when I was writing Freemasons For Dummies, to make sure I didn't completely put my foot in it. When I was in hospital back in 2008, he was among the first to call and ask after my situation. Nelson was forceful, opinionated, and he stood by his beliefs.

He also stood by Freemasons.

The world today is a darker place from his passing.

From his website:

Born June 13, 1945 in Montreal, received his primary education in Perth Ontario, and graduated from Banting Institute, University of Toronto, 1967. Married to Ellen, and has two children, Christopher, and Victoria and two granddaughters. Nelson was appointed Assistant Editor in 1992 and Editor in August 1994] of The Philalethes Society Journal of Masonic Research and Letters, the first non-United States Citizen to hold these positions.

He is also only the second Mason to ever hold the position of President and Editor of The Philalethes at the same time. He retired as Editor in June 2009. Nelson is a well-known Masonic speaker, having spoken in the jurisdictions of Alberta, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Costa Rica, Cuba, The District of Columbia, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Jamacia [EC], Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Nova Scotia, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Quebec, Texas, Virginia, and Washington.

Nelson developed the highly successful Internet Masonic Leadership Course. His book "Confessions of a Born Again Fundamentalist Freemason" has become a Masonic Best Seller. VoicePrint®, The National Broadcast Reading Service Inc. an international broadcasting reading service for the visually impaired has recorded some of his historical articles. Nelson was instrumental if the formation of the Masonic Relief for Cuba Committee. And he serves as the Executive Director of that program. He is also one of the few Canadian Freemasons, listed in latest Edition of the "Who is Who of Freemasonry.