W. Bro and E. Comp Rajendra Ranji Patel was born on the 22nd September 1952 and was initiated on the 6th November 1984 at the age of 32. Raj was initiated in the Rift Valley Lodge No 4788 meeting in Naivasha in Kenya in the District of East Africa where he remained a member until his sad passing on the 31st July 2024.
He was quick to add to his masonic portfolio, joining Victoria Nyanza Lodge No 3492 in July 1986 and becoming a Founder of Naivasha Lodge No 9488 in January 1993, all in the District of East Africa.
Naivasha, is a town in Kenya approximately 60 miles north west of Nairobi. It is situated on the shores of Lake Naivasha which derives from a local Maasai word (ɛnaɨpɔ́ ɔ́ sha) meaning “that which heaves”, a common Maasai word for bodies of water large enough to have wave action when it is windy or stormy.
I assume that it was about this time that Raj came to the UK for he joined Pearl of Africa Lodge No 9052 in the Province of Middlesex in March 1995. He clearly enjoyed his freemasonry going on to join the Lodge of Hope No 7152 in London in 2010, Middlesex Masters Harrow No 9787 in 2011, Pimlico Lodge No 1772 in London also in 2011, Middlesex Master No 3420 in 2019, Zetland and Hong Kong Lodge No 7665 in London in 2019, Burdett Lodge No 1293 in 2023 and, most recently, Justice and Peace Lodge No 8668 in November 2023. A very active, prolific and enthusiastic freemason.
Raj’s Royal Arch career began somewhat later when he was Exalted into the Hegeston Chapter No 5220 on the 14th October 2006. He subsequently joined both North Middlesex First Principals No 9240 in 2019 and Middlesex First Principals No 3420 in 2023. He was also due to join Burdett Chapter No 1293 but sadly that wasn’t to be.
Raj’s progress in freemasonry was also marked by the honours he received. Firstly as Past Provincial Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies in 2000, Past Provincial Senior Grand Deacon in 2008, Past Provincial Grand Registrar in 2015 and Past Provincial Junior Grand Warden in 2022. And similarly in the Royal Arch with appointment to Past Provincial Grand Standard Bearer in 2014 and to the Active rank of Provincial 1st Assistant Grand Sojourner, a post he held for two years from 2020. This was followed by an active role of being a RA Visiting Officer.
Many people knew Raj as the man with a camera at the ready always on hand to take photographs of any occasion including the big occasions in Middlesex. This included the Annual Meetings in both Craft and the Royal Arch and, of course, at the Thanksgiving Services as well as at many Lodge and Chapter meeting. I will honestly miss him pointing his camera at me so often. The exceptional quality of his work should be of no surprise as Raj ran his own family business, Heavenly Designs Ltd, dealing in Photo Processing and Printing.
Raj died peacefully and unexpectedly at home on the 31st July this year (2024), a great shock for his family and friends. I had the last, sad privilege of attending his funeral in August where there was a very large turnout of family, friends and so many from the masonic community. This included a PastProPGM, Alistair Mason, half the current Provincial Executive and so many from his various Lodges and Chapters. This was indeed a man who, as it says in our Installation ritual, lived respected and died regretted.
Rest in Peace Raj.
