Austin "Buzz" Haller

Born Austin Preble Haller on September 25, 1936 in Omaha, NE, it was only a few days into his life that a sound he made while breathing earned him the nickname "Buzz," which would become his preferred moniker the rest of his life.

Growing up in southern California, he embarked on what would become two lifetime passions - working on cars and competition shooting.

For his 16th birthday his parents presented him the chassis of a car. From that gift he built his first car from that chassis up. Never being far from working on his "Buzz Toys," - vehicles including cars, sand buggies, boats, etc. - after he retired, he embarked on a full restoration of a 1936 Chevy pickup.

Becoming a sergeant in the US Marine Corps, part of his duty was as a member of the Camp Pendleton Shooting Team. He went to the range whenever he could, shooting the dozens of firearms he collected and worked with young shooters, including the Old West DeMolay shooting team.

A 1954 graduate of Dorsey High School in Los Angeles, it was there he meet Myrna who would become his wife of 40 years, until her death, and with whom they would have two children.

After his honorable discharge from the Marine Corps, he began an over 30-year career with AT&T, starting as a lineman and moving up to various positions including as a phone equipment installer at Universal Studios in the production offices and sound stages and at "black" government facilities, including the compound phones when US Presidents would visit southern California.

He was also heavily involved in coaching youth and high school football, working as assistant coach for several teams, and at one time coached a player who would end up playing in the NFL.

A third generation Faithful Mason, he was entered at Old West Lodge in November of 1980 and raised to Master Mason just seven months later.

From that point, his importance to Old West Lodge and it's importance to him are inexorably connected.

He entered the line and became the Lodge's Master in 1991. Always willing to put his expertise in building and fixing to use, he often updated and refurbished lodge furniture and decorations when they required it, and had been know on several occasions to anonymously drop off items at lodge "because they needed it and I don't need the credit."

In 1997 he was named the recipient of the Hiram Award, the highest honor a lodge can bestow on one of its members.

He met the then Deputy Grand Matron, Rochelle Jensen at a Old West Order of the Eastern Star Chapter meeting, and proposed to her at the lodge a little over a year later. He would serve as Worthy Patron in 2003 for the Old West Chapter, and was serving as Grand Representative to Washington for California at the time of his death.

In 2009 he would aid and support his daughter Annette when she served Old West OES as Worthy Matron, and in 2012 he not only invaluably helped his son Glenn during his term as Old West's Master, but also the Lodge's 50th Anniversary Celebration.

He is survived by his wife of nearly 25 years, Rochelle and her children Evan and Dana, his children Glenn and Annette, eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.