Grand Master of Masons in Virginia

On Saturday, November 11, 2023, during its 245th Grand Annual Communication, the Grand Lodge of Virginia elected Jack Kayle Lewis, of Blairs, Virginia, to serve as its 178th Grand Master for the 2023 – 2024 Masonic Year.

Most Worshipful Lewis was born on August 6, 1954, in Danville, Virginia, the son of the late Ben Barker Lewis and Violet Newton Lewis. Young Jack grew up near Danville in Pittsylvania County with his parents and two sisters, Pat and Kristie. He attended Dan River Elementary and then Dan River High School, where he graduated in June of 1972 as class president. On January 4, 1976, Most Worshipful Lewis married his High School sweetheart, Barbara Faye Holland. Their son, John Benjamin Lewis, was born in 1981, and they are the proud grandparents of Charlotte Paige Lewis, Jackson Bennett Lewis, and Holland Angeline Lewis.

After high school, Most Worshipful Lewis enrolled in Danville Community College in 1973. Over the next thirty years, he attended four colleges and universities. He was awarded an Associate’s Degree in Police Science from Danville Community College, a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Averett College, and a Master's Degree in Sociology from Longwood College in May 2002.

Most Worshipful Lewis began his law enforcement career with the North Carolina Department of Corrections in 1974. The following year, he was appointed a police officer for the City of Danville and named “Police Officer of the Year” in January 1977. In 1978, he was employed by the Lynchburg Police Department, serving in a variety of assignments until his retirement as Deputy Chief of Police in 2005. On March 28, 2005, Most Worshipful Lewis was sworn in as the Chief of Police for the Town of Apex, North Carolina, and served that community until his retirement in 2013.

Most Worshipful Lewis was raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason in Kent Lodge No. 305 on April 28, 1980. He served as Worshipful Master in 1984, 1988, and 2013, and as District Deputy Grand Master for the 38th Masonic District in 2014. He then served the 38th District from 2015-2018 as the District Educational Officer and as Lodge Secretary from 2015–2022. At the Grand Annual Communication in November 2017, Brother Lewis was elected Grand Junior Deacon. His Masonic services since that day have been extensive. During the tenure as Grand Master, his theme and emphasis will be “Freemasonry — Building Better Leaders.” .