Ill. Dean Resch, 33° of Panama City elected to receive Grand Cross

Upon nomination of Illustrious Richard Hoover, Deputy of the Supreme Council in Florida, Illustrious Dean M. Resch of the Valley of Panama City, Florida was elected unanimously by the Supreme Council to receive the honor and decoration of Grand Cross.

Ill. Resch was born in New Jersey and grew up in Middletown.  He was drafted into the Army in 1965 and after basic attended military police training.  He served 7 months at Ft. Monroe VA after which he was assigned to Vietnam where he served 13 months.  He was later accepted into flight training and received his wings in 1968.  His assignments included Korea, Germany and Vietnam/Laos.  He became an CH-47 Chinook instructor pilot and aircraft commander.  His decorations include Distinguished Flying Cross (3), Bronze Star, Air Medal (23), Army Commendation Medal and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry w/palm.

In 1990 Ill. Resch joined the FAA with assistance from a longtime friend and Scottish Rite Brother.  He managed all flight operations for the 1996 Olympic games in Atlanta without accident or incident.  He joined the U. S. State Department in 2006 and went to Baghdad, Iraq as an aviation security advisor to the Chief of Mission (Ambassador).  He was asked to help out by his Scottish Rite Brother. 

Ill. Resch has been very active in many areas of his community a few of which are Past President of Boys and Girls Club, Past Vice-President of Children’s Advocacy Center, Adult Advisor to the Bay County Teen Court, Senior Member of the Bay County Public Safety Council, retired member of U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and a Covenant Care Hospice end stage volunteer at the Clifford J. Sims Veterans Home, usually accompanied by his faithful dog Tebow which the Veterans enjoy seeing.     

Ill. Resch entered the Masonic Fraternity in 1976 and is a Past Master of Daleville Lodge #903, Daleville, AL and Acacia Lodge #16, Commonwealth of Virginia.  He served as District Deputy Grand Master, Masonic District 6, Virginia for Grand Master James Dean Cole, our new Sovereign Grand Commander.  He is a member of Pythagoras Lodge #358, Panama City Beach, FL and is a York Rite Mason and Shriner. 

Ill. Resch became a Scottish Rite Mason in 1976 in Dothan, AL.  He demitted to the Panama City Valley in 2001 and became very active.  He was Coroneted a 33^rd Degree in 2011 and is currently serving Ill. Hoover as the Personal Representative in the Panama City Valley.  He is a continuing personal donor to the Scottish Rite Foundation of Florida as well as a being a major fundraiser for the Foundation. 

One of Ill. Resch’s finest qualities is that he stays in regular contact with many Brothers who are having health problems, he helps to keep their spirits up and he is also known to offer financial assistance.  He does all this while undergoing his own weekly cancer treatments.  In the last year Ill. Resch has had the added duty of guiding the Panama City Valley through its reconstruction from the destruction caused by hurricane Michael last October as well as helping to see that the Brothers of his community received needed assistance.