VEKt Bill Hagger: a tribute by the RE Provincial Prior
William (Bill) Jack Hagger born on the 26th May 1934 in Needham Market to his parents who ran the Three Tuns Public House in the town.
His early years from the local village school to Stowmarket Gramer School until enlisting in the Corps of Royal Military Police. Upon discharge in 1954 he joined the East Suffolk Police later to become Suffolk Constabulary and walked many a beat in Lowestoft . As many of his colleagues may know he served mainly in CID and rose through the ranks to become Detective Chief Superintendent and head of Suffolk CID retiring in 1981. Not wanting to sit around in retirement he then joined a firm of solicitors as a Legal Executive for a few years.
But Policing still called him, for in 1983 he joined the Royal Oman Police and served as head of CID in the Province of Dhofar for 7 years at the rank of Major.
I am not sure if it was the Army or the Police where he leant to polish his shoes that became a characteristic of his smartness.
His Wife Madge and their three children Stewart, Jennett and Marnie whom he loved so much and was even more delighted and happy to have Grandchildren, but should a father survive two of his children Stewart and Jennett. Our Lord does give us many trials in life, Trials that Bill took in his Christian and unflappable stride.
Apart from his family what of his other great love, Masonry.
Bill was initiated into St Margarets Lodge in Lowestoft in 1964 before joining 4 other lodges over time.
He joined Chapter in 1978 and went on to join many progressive orders as, Now comes a long list , Mark, Ram , Allied Degrees, Red Cross of Constantine, Order Secret Monitor, Rose Croix, Royal and Select masters, Royal Order of Scotland , Scarlet Cord, Silver Trowel, Thomas of Acon, Scottish Masters, Pilgrim Preceptors, SRIA, KTP and of course Knights Templar where he was invited by the then Provincial Prior, S C L Middleton to become Sub Prior and Prior of Malta. An office he kept for over 10 years.
I am sure most of those Orders are represented here today and all of us are here to say farewell and recount memories of Bill and how he influenced our own lives.
REKt Colin Birkbeck
Provincial Prior
Delivered by the Provincial Prior at the funeral of VEKt Bill Hagger, 22 September 2023