Most Worshipful Brother Larry A. Fairclough

Most Worshipful Grand Master of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons of Utah 1993

Grand Master Larry A. Fairclough was born January 5, 1949 in Salt Lake City, Utah the son of Arthur and Elaine Fairclough. He attended the Salt Lake City public schools, graduated from Highland High School in 1967, and attended Westminster College.

By his first wife he had two children, Art and Tanya. Art, who had just received his Master Mason degree, was killed in an unfortunate automobile accident in 1988, and Tanya became a psychologist and is practicing in the Denver area. Throughout high school, Larry worked in construction and used this knowledge to begin his own construction company at age 19. He was then the youngest general contractor in Utah. His company started in residential and progressed to commercial construction.

Larry is a devoted father. When his children were younger, he participated in many of their activities--coached soccer teams, held positions of Cub Scout Pack Leader, and produced films for the Cub Scout Packs and the Brownie Troops. Larry served as the Mother's Club President and Chapter Dad for Salt Lake Chapter, Order of DeMolay. His concern for children encompassed the community and he served on the board of the Family Support Center. In that capacity, he remodeled the Lake Street property to serve as the agency's crisis nursery and counseling center. He was a member of the Utah National Guard from 1967 through 1973 as a Sergeant, Military Police.

Larry was initiated an Entered Apprentice September 8, 1977, passed to the degree of Fellowcraft October 20, 1977, and raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason November 10. 1977 all in Acacia Lodge No. 17, Free and Accepted Masons of Utah. He served that Lodge as Worshipful Master in 1985. Larry is a member of EI Kalah Shrine A.A.O.N.M.S. where he has been a member of the Mounted Patrol and the Ceremonial Divan. Larry was received and acknowledged a Royal Arch Mason, Greeted as a Cryptic Mason and Knighted a Knight Templar in March 1986 all in Midvale-Park City York Rite. He was awarded the honorary DeMolay Legion of Honor in 1992.

He is a Past Director of Court #49 Royal Order of Jesters and has served on the Shriner's Hospital Board. This year he became a member of the Royal Order of Scotland.

Larry was appointed to the Grand Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons of Utah in 1986 as Junior Grand Deacon by Jesse R. Barnes, PGM. He served as Senior Grand Deacon in 1987, Grand Lecturer 1988, 1989. He was appointed as Grand Lodge Representative to Scotland in 1988. Larry was elected Junior Grand Warden in 1990, Senior Grand Warden in 1991, Deputy Grand Master in 1992 and installed as Most Worshipful Grand Master of Utah February 2, 1993.

Larry is a prize-winning amateur photographer having studied under Ansel Adams and John Sexton. Larry is also an avid sailor and loves to sail along the northwest coast of Washington and Canada. His newest interest is cooking. He mastered the barbecue and has now moved to the main kitchen. He enjoys science fiction and has written several short stories and a humor column for a small local paper.

Electronically Transcribed as written without corrections to grammar or spelling by Aaron E. Saathoff, P.M., March, 2005.

Updated October 8, 2009 - George F. Winters, Grand Historian