Walter Ernest Webber

http://www.jensenbaird.com/Pages/WEWObitNews4-25-06.pdf

Walter E. Webber passed away on April 22 after an extended illness at the age of 62.

Walter was a resident of Yarmouth, Maine, since 1970 and lived more recently in Lexington, Massachusetts, where he served as the 13th Sovereign Grand Commander of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry for the Northern Jurisdiction of the United States. He also served as president of the National Heritage Museum and as president of the 32nd Degree Masonic Learning Centers for Children, which has 53 clinics teaching children with dyslexia to improve their reading skills.

As a practicing attorney, he first joined Jensen Baird Gardner & Henry in 1969 and eventually became the first president of the firm. He became “of counsel” in 2003 upon his election as Sovereign Grand Commander.

He was a member of the Cumberland County, Maine State, and American Bar Associations, and was, by invitation, a member of the American College of Mortgage Attorneys, the American College of Real Estate Attorneys, and was regularly listed in The Best Lawyers in America.

As an attorney he had a dramatic impact on the field of commercial real estate, with projects such as the Maine Mall, South Portland Crossing, the Augusta Mall, the rehabilitation of the Eastland Hotel and the conversion of Congress Square Hotel into elderly housing, many condominium projects, and other commercial projects ranging from Ellsworth to Kittery.

He graduated from Marietta College in 1965 and was awarded the prestigious W. Bay Irvine Award. He later served as a trustee, becoming vice-chairman of the board of trustees. He earned a J.D. degree from Boston University School of Law in 1969.

He was a trustee of the Osteopathic Hospital of Maine and served in several capacities during a 15-year period, becoming chairman of the board of trustees, during which time the hospital became Brighton Medical Center and opened its staff to non-osteopathic physicians.

In business, he was a long-serving director of York Mutual Insurance Company, becoming chairman of its board of directors. During that period, York had an unprecedented period of growth and eventually merged with Commercial Union Insurance Company, where he continued on the board of directors until the company was sold.

Walter was active in church affairs, serving as a trustee of the Maine Conference of the United Church of Christ for over 20 years. For the First Parish Church in Yarmouth, he had various leadership positions from moderator to chair of the board of trustees, building fund and longserving president of the ministerial fund.

http://www.carpenterjenks.com/obituary/Illustrious-Walter-E.-Webber...

Walter E. Webber, of Lexington, MA, formerly of Yarmouth, ME, passed away after battling illness for several months on April 22, 2006. He was the beloved husband of Leslie M. (MacDougall) Webber. Father of David S. Webber of Harvard, MA, Seth E. Webber of Glendale, CA, and Elizabeth A. (Webber) Crampsey of Newton, MA. Grandfather of Ethan J. and Allison G. Webber and father in law of Sheila Simsarian Webber and Ross Crampsey. Mr. Webber was a member of Casco Lodge # 36 of Yarmouth, Maine a member of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite Valley of Portland where he had served as Deputy and had been serving since September 2003 as the Sovereign Grand Commander of The Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry for the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of the United States of America. Mr. Webber was a 1965 graduate of Marietta College, where he was engaged in a number of fraternal activities. At commencement he was awarded the William Bay Irvine Award, signifying the outstanding member of the class. Walter graduated from Boston University Law School in1969, eventually being named senior director of the Portland law firm of Jensen Baird Gardner & Henry. Walter was active in his community, serving on several boards of trustees, with his church the First Parish Congregational Church in Yarmouth, on both the local and state and chairman of the board of York Mutual Insurance Company of Maine. A Memorial Service will be held Sunday, April 30 at The National Heritage Museum, 33 Marrett Rd., Lexington MA, at 1 p.m. Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend. In lieu of flowers donations in Walter's memory may be made to the 32nd Degree Masonic Learning Centers , 2115 Broad Street, Cranston, Rhode Island 02905 or to the Headquarters for the Learning Centers, 33 Marrett Rd., Lexington MA 02420. Condolences may be made to Walter��(TM)s Family at www.carpenterjenks.com.