Grand Lieutenant Commander

GRAND LIEUTENANT COMMANDER Mark C. Roth

Let’s meet our new Grand Lieutenant Commander, Illustrious Brother Mark C. Roth of New Hampshire.

Masonic Background

Brother Roth was raised a Master Mason at Horace Chase Lodge No. 72, Penacook, New Hampshire, on June 24,1982. He served as Master of Horace Chase Lodge No. 72 in 1994 and 1995. He served the Grand Lodge of New Hampshire as District Deputy Grand Master and later as Grand Chaplain. Grand Lodge honored Brother Roth with the Major General John Sullivan Distinguished Service Medal and the Jeremy Ladd Cross Medal. He joined the Scottish Rite in the Valley of Concord and served as Thrice Potent Master of Alpha Lodge of Perfection and Most Wise Master of Acacia Chapter of Rose Croix. Mark is a member of York Rite and Shrine, and has been honored with the DeMolay Legion of Honor and Rainbow Grand Cross of Color.

In 1998, Illustrious Brother Roth was coroneted a Sovereign Grand Inspector General, 33°, Honorary Member of Supreme Council in Cincinnati as a member of the same class as Sovereign Grand Commander Samiec and several other Active and Active Emeritus members of Supreme Council. He was crowned an Active Member of Supreme Council in Grand Rapids in 2005. He served on several committees of the Supreme Council, including Ritualistic Matters, State of the Rite/ Strategic Planning, and chaired the Masonic Education and Program Development Committee for four years. He also completed 10 years as a member of the Board of Directors of the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library, including two as Treasurer. He was Deputy for New Hampshire from 2013 – 2021 and elected Grand Lieutenant Commander in Cleveland in 2021.

Karla and Mark at a church anniversary, 1975

Family Life

Illustrious Brother Roth was born and raised in Northampton County, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Muhlenberg College in 1969 with a B.A. in Psychology and the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia with a Master of Divinity in 1973. He earned a Master of Business Administration in 1984. He married Karla M. Helldorfer in York, PA in 1972. They lived in Philadelphia until moving to Nuremberg in Schuylkill County, PA where Mark was Pastor of the Nuremberg-Mt. Zion Lutheran Parish for five years. Karla was a health science librarian for Temple University and Director of the Hazleton Area Public Library.

Mark and Karla on the beach in San Diego

Mark and Karla moved to New Hampshire where Mark was employed by the State of New Hampshire, first in Human Resources and later in Financial Data Management. Karla was a librarian for the NH State Library until their son, Mathias, was born in 1980. When Mathias started school, Karla returned to work as Director of Volunteer Services at Concord Hospital. Mark and Karla are now retired and living in Warner, NH.

Mathias Roth and family

Mark and Karla have one child, Captain Mathias K. Roth, U.S. Navy, and six grandchildren, ages 5 to 18 (five boys and one girl).

At a Glance

MUSIC: Rock, several other genres, generally not country

BOOKS: Recent U.S. History, historical novels

MOVIES: Casablanca, White Christmas, but definitely not The Wizard of Oz.

SPORTS: Baseball and Football

MAN’S BEST FRIENDS: Tommy and Bailey, Goldendoodles

Tommy and Bailey