‘New Canaan There & Then’ is sponsored by Brown Harris Stevens Realtors Bettina Hegel, Joanne Santulli, Dawn Sterner and Pam Stutz.
When I began my work at the New Canaan Museum & Historical Society, I was unaware that I would be occupying the same space once utilized by the Freemasons Fraternity until 1950. This was the very society my own grandfather joined when he lived in New Canaan from 1964 until his death in 1997.
The Masons are the world’s oldest extant fraternal organization with its origin in the late 17th century masonic guilds in England and continental Europe. Freemasons developed a reputation for upstanding moral character and were widely respected. Their mission was and remains to promote self-improvement and a better world through the application of moral values, intellectual development, and mutual respect, fostering a brotherhood of men united by shared principles.
For Gabe, these weren’t merely the pledges of a fraternal organization. They were a blueprint for living. These values shaped his actions throughout his entire life, informing his decisions, and defining his relationships with colleagues, students, and family alike.
I never met Gabe, and I was unaware of his involvement in the Masonic Fraternity until my own curiosity led me to look up his name in our database. He is pictured with his fellow brothers in a New Canaan Advertiser article published in February, 1979, listing him as the Master of the New Canaan chapter.
Gabriel Alexander, born Nov. 20, 1928, was a New Canaan resident for 33 years. He and my grandmother, Sonia, moved to town when my mother, Carol, was two years old, and her older brother, Mark, was five. He was head usher at the United Methodist Church for 25 years, a past master of Harmony Lodge No. 67, and belonged to the Senior Men’s Club, as well as being a coordinator in the AmeriCares HomeFront program.
His time in university was marked by great academic and athletic success. He got his bachelor’s degree in Physics from Tufts University where he played varsity football and was selected to the Armenian All American team. He then earned a master’s in economics from Trinity College and became a corporate manager of economics and industry at United Technologies Inc., where he worked for 28 years. His work helped transform the company from one heavily focused on military and commercial aerospace business into a leading profitable and diversified manufacturer on a global scale.
During the Korean War he was a liaison officer, and received a commendation for his role in coordinating research and development for the Army Field Forces. He was a man consistently attuned to matters of international relations and economics. In 1981, he spoke on a panel at the second annual Syracuse Business Economic Forecast Symposium.
After retiring from the corporate world in 1991, he took up teaching, and was known as “Mr. A” to his students. He taught at New Canaan High School, and was a professor of economics at Norwalk Community-Technical College. Devoting the final years of his life to sharing his wealth of knowledge and wisdom with the next generation, he left a lasting impact on all he taught.
Following Gabe’s unexpected passing in 1997, many in New Canaan remembered him as a “good and caring man.” This sentiment was captured in a letter to the editor published in the Advertiser by Lucy Lee Evans, the mother of one of his students. Evans shares an anecdote wherein she decided to stop and help a woman on the side of the road who had run out of gas. She said that Gabe’s kindly spirit inspired her to do the right thing, instead of driving past.
Gabe would have turned 97 on Thursday. As I’ve gone back through his numerous accomplishments and remarks, it paints a picture of a man whose influence was a powerful, positive current, shaping the careers and personal philosophies of countless colleagues, students, and family members. His memory is not just one of historical achievement, but of a deeply human connection that continues to resonate with all of those fortunate enough to know him.
What a beautiful tribute. It brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for this timely, beautifully written memory of my beloved Dad.
Freemasonry is so old it’s true date of origin is unknown.
“Officially, the Grand Lodge of England was founded in London on St. John the Baptist’s day, 24 June 1717, when four existing Lodges gathered at the Goose and Gridiron Ale-house in St. Paul’s Church-yard in London and constituted themselves a Grand Lodge.” Wikipedia.
The first documented use of the word “Freemason” is in a London City document from 1376. The first recorded initiation of a speculative (non-stonemason) member was in Scotland in 1598, followed by Elias Ashmole in England in 1646. Modern, organized Freemasonry, however, is considered to have officially begun in 1717 with the formation of the first Grand Lodge in London.
Key dates in the history of Freemasonry
1376: Earliest known written use of the word “Freemason” in a London city document.
1390: The Regius Poem (or Halliwell Manuscript), a poem detailing Masonic regulations, is written.
1598: The first known speculative Freemason, a member named Boswell, is initiated in Scotland.
1599: William Schaw, Master of Works for King James VI of Scotland, issues statutes to Scottish lodges, formalizing their structure and practices.
1646: Elias Ashmole, a prominent antiquarian, is initiated into a Lodge in Warrington, England.
1717: Four London lodges come together to form the first Grand Lodge of England, marking the beginning of modern, organized Freemasonry.
1723: The first rulebook for the Grand Lodge, known as The Constitutions of the Free-Masons, is published by James Anderson.