John W Acer passed away peacefully on June 24, 2012 after a long struggle with leukemia. He was born on September 13, 1932 in Medina, NY, the son of Donald W and Ethel Yaxley Acer. John is survived by his wife Martha, three daughters Susan, Catherine Coluccio, and Julia; and three grandchildren, Karina, Michael and Thomas. He is also survived by two brothers, Donald and Milford, and many nieces and nephews. During the 1950s John attended Princeton University, and served in the US Army as a guided missile instructor at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, AL. In 1956, he enrolled at the University of Iowa, where he received his BSEE degree and a Masters in Labor and Management. In May of 1955 he and Martha began their 57-year marriage. After he finished school, he joined a GE Marketing Training Program, which moved the family to Phoenix on temporary assignment. After several unusually cold and snowy Iowa winters, he vowed never to leave Phoenix! John and Marty have resided in Phoenix for over 50 years, and raised their daughters here. After a few years, John left GE and worked with real estate and investments before entering Arizona State University Law School, where he earned his JD degree and was elected to the honorary law societies of Phi Delta Phi and Delta Theta Phi. Soon after graduation, he set up practice as a sole practitioner in Phoenix. John's law practice consisted of small business, real estate, construction, estate planning (wills, trusts, etc), family law, commercial collections and election law. He has been active in the residential landlord/tenant area, lobbying the state legislature and serving on numerous committees. He helped found and has worked with the Arizona Tenants Association for indigent tenants. During his practice he has given time counseling needy clients and has provided free legal assistance through the Volunteer Law program. He has advised various Masonic groups and families. From 1996 through 2007, he served as a pro tempore judge in various Maricopa County courtrooms, and also has served as an arbitrator for the National Arbitration Forum. John has served as an Elder in his church, and represented his congregation or his denomination for many years in organizations which promoted interfaith efforts. He was first an officer and then president of North Phoenix Corporate Ministry in 1981-1982; this was the initial group to foster interfaith cooperation in education, charity and political action. John also directed the founding of the Interfaith Cooperative Ministry as well as being a founder, director, and chairman of Project S.H.A.R.E., which raises funds for the elderly and disabled to help pay their utilities. Finally he was founder, director, and for 18 years, ending in 2008, president of the Arizona Interfaith Coalition on Energy (AZ-ICE). John took great pride in this, as AZ-ICE has significantly reduced the electrical costs for religious congregations in the State of Arizona as well as their energy usage. He also served on his denomination's judicial commission. In 1980 John was elected a precinct committeeman. Thereafter he was elected state committeeman, District 18 Chairman in 1990, and a delegate to the 1992 Republican National Convention in Houston. He was appointed to serve as legal counsel to the Arizona State Republican Party in 1992¬-1993, served as chairman of the State Rules Committee, and served on the State Elections Committee. He was also chairman of the County Resolutions Committee, and was a member of the County Credentials and Tally Committee and County Rules Committee. He was one of the three founders of the Arizona Republican Assemby (ARA), the largest Republican group in the State, and served as its President from 1997 – 1999. He was also one of the founders of the National Federation of Republican Assemblies (NFRA), and a national organization for conservative Republicans, and served as its Treasurer from 2001 – 2010. John was also an alternate delegate to the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York City. In 2008 at the Lincoln Day luncheon John was awarded the Lincoln Bust for lifetime achievement in the Republican Party. In 2012 he was given the NFRA Republic Assembly lifetime service award. (For Masonic history, please see John's separate history). John touched many lives and made many friends, who found him to be outgoing, loyal, generous and always forthright with his views. One of his most endearing charms was his sense of humor. He loved to tease anyone and everyone, sometimes noticing a quality in someone to "run with". This occasionally caused mild embarrassment, but was always humerous. Everyone remembers him with a smile. JOHN W ACER, Master Mason was born on September 13, 1932 in Medina, New York, where his father, Donald W Acer, had been Master of the Medina Lodge No 338 six years before. John, so proud to be following in his father's footsteps, was raised as a Master Mason in Sahuaro Lodge No 45, Phoenix, AZ on February 29, 1980. Thus began a long career of service. He joined Scottish Rite, York Rite, and El Zaribah Temple in 1980. In Scottish Rite, he took an active role in degree work. He was Wise Master of the Rose Croix in 1991, the same year he was awarded his red hat (K.C.C.H.). John was a charter member of Stewart Council #16, Apache Commandery No 16, St Andrew Commandery No 7, and Saguaro Council #367 of Allied Masonic Degrees (and its Sovereign Commander in 2003). He also served as Grand Officer, Grand Commandant, and Grand Warder in the Arizona Commandery. Other active affiliations: in Scottsdale York Rite Bodies, he served as Illustrious Master in 1988 and 2005, High Priest in 1989 and 2003, and Eminent Commander in 1990. He was elected to Knight York Cross of Honor in 1996. He was also a member of the Order of the High Priesthood, the Order of the Silver Trowel, Thrice Illustrious Master in 2008, the Past Commander's Association, and the Order of Ishsadi. He was Grand Priest in 2007. In Sahuaro Lodge, he was Master in 1995 and 1995, and in the latter year he was also Master of Arizona Research Lodge No 1. In 1999 he was made a 33rd Degree Mason. In his latter years John became interested in working in the wider community. For nine years he worked to organize Masons to ring the bells for the Salvation Army's Christmas fund raising. He spent many hours ringing as well as organizing. Another favorite project was the Arizona Masonic Foundation for Children. He was a director of the Foundation and served as its legal counsel. He was given the Distinguished Service Award in 99 and then the Arizona Foundation Medal for Masonic Children.Visitation will be held on Thursday, June 28th at Hansen Mortuary, 8314 N. 7th St., from 4:00 to 8:00 pm, with a Masonic funeral ceremony at 7:00 pm. A memorial service will be held at Orangewood Presbyterian Church, 7321 N. 10th St. on Friday, June 29th at 10:00 am with a reception following in Page Hall. There will be a private interment at the Veterans Memorial Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to AZ Masonic Foundation for Children www.foundation4children.org, Hospice of the Valley-Sherman House www.hov.org, or Orangewood Presbyterian Church.
Published Leavenworth Times Newspaper June 24, 2012
BIO PROVIDED BY: TRIBEHUNTER