San Andreas, CA…Joel Harold Springer III, born December 11, 1948 in San Francisco, CA, age 68, residing at 4656 High Country Road, PO Box 1506, San Andreas, CA, died January 1, 2017, at home in San Andreas, of natural causes. Joel had a master’s degree from San Francisco State University.

Joel was a teacher, having taught at George Washington High School in San Francisco, and at Calaveras High School in San Andreas, and was currently substituting at several of the schools in Calaveras and Amador Counties. He also was a paralegal and a notary and had worked as assistant grand secretary at the Masonic Grand Lodge of California.

Joel was an avid Mason, being a 4 times past master of Phoenix Lodge #144 in San Francisco, and was currently active in San Andreas lodge #78, where he was twice past master and had just been installed as master for 2017. He was also a student of Freemasonry, and had served as president of the oldest and largest Masonic research society in the United States, the Philalethes Society. He also very much enjoyed cooking and eating, and has left his husband a refrigerator and freezer full of marvelous leftovers and ingredients.

Joel was Jewish and was active in the Congregation Sha’ar Zahav in San Francisco, before moving to San Andreas in 2006.

Joel spent much of his life searching for more of himself, eventually coming out as a gay man in his 50s, and marrying another man in 2013.

Joel is survived by his husband of three years, John R.(Rob) Barnaby. He had no siblings or children. He was predeceased by his mother and father.

A brief Masonic Service will be held at 7PM on Thursday, January 19, at the Calaveras Masonic Lodge, 5 W St. Charles, San Andreas, CA. A celebration of life in the spring is also intended.

Memorial donations may be made to Congregation Sha’ar Zahav, 290 Dolores Street, San Francisco, CA 94103 (synagogue).

Or to the California Masonic Foundation, 1111 California Street, San Francisco, CA 94108, attn: Denise Avila (scholarships).

Contact: John R.(Rob) Barnaby, PO Box 1506, San Andreas, CA 95249, 209-754-4923.