SIR KNIGHT DAVID WILLIAM STUDLEY
R.E. Grand Captain General
Mountain Ranch, CA
David was born in Longview, Washington, on February 2, 1948, Groundhog Day, a source of continued merriment for his family. David is the older of two brothers, sons of William and Verna Studley, now deceased. David graduated from R.A. Long High School in Longview in 1966 and attended Pomona College in Claremont, CA, where David majored in Economics, receiving a B.A. Degree in 1970. David also lettered in football for the Pomona Fighting Sagehens, an NCAA Division 3 team (meaning not too impressive), earning All-League honors as a Tight End in his Junior and Senior seasons.
David enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in August 1970, attended basic training at MCRD San Diego, and was transferred to Active Reserve status in February 1971. David was proud to have served our Country and the Corps during his six years of active reserve duty and was honorably discharged as a Staff Sergeant (E6) in 1976. Along the way, David was assigned for a summer to the staff of Lt. General Lewis Walt, Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, on the Presidential Clemency Commission David started law school at Santa Clara University in 1971, receiving a Juris Doctor Degree, summa cum laude, in May 1974. David passed the California Bar in November that year and began working at a midsized San Francisco law firm in December. After five years of general civil litigation experience, David joined the Law Department at Dean Witter, a national securities broker-dealer (now Morgan Stanley, a firm it acquired). David eventually rose to Senior Vice President, in charge of litigation in the Western one-half of the United States. David was elected to the Business Conduct Committee of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., and served as its Chair in the final year of his three-year term. Because David was assigned to teach senior Dean Witter executives about securities law for licensing examinations, David took and passed the General Securities exam and became a licensed stockbroker. However, David never sold or recommended investments (so you’re smart not to ask for tips).
David’s Masonic experience began in 2005 in San Andreas, CA, a lodge near where he and his wife Hallie bought a second home in 1999. David was Master of the lodge for three years and later an Inspector (a job he still holds). David joined the Scottish Rite in 2007 and, soon thereafter, the York Rite. David served as presiding officer of all 3 York Rite Bodies, some several times, and was admitted to the San Francisco and Golden West Priories of KYCH.
As were many of you, David was invited to serve and actively participates in many invitational York Rite and Masonic bodies, including the Red Cross of Constantine, Holy Royal Arch Knight Templar Priests, Royal Order of Scotland and Robert the Bruce Association, Societas Rosicruciana in Civitatibus Foederatis, York Rite Sovereign College, Knight Masons, Allied Masonic Degrees, and National Sojourners. David holds or has held offices in many of those bodies.
David is currently serving as the 163rd Grand Commander of Knights Templar of California. It was Sir Knight David Studley’s honor to be installed Grand Captain General at the Special Conclave of the Grand Encampment in Ft. Wayne, IN.
David was elected a Trustee of the Knights Templar Eye Foundation at the Triennial in Indianapolis, IN, in 2018 and continues to serve that impactful foundation.
David was married for 31 years to Hallie Matson, his loving and supportive spouse, who died of brain cancer in December 2020. Cancer is a pernicious disease, and we extend our heartful support to all those afflicted by this challenge and to their families.
David is blessed with two sons: Brian, who is 43 and lives in a group setting for handicapped adults, and Robert, 41, is an attorney in San Francisco, CA. Robert is married to his lovely wife Sarah, and they have given him two grandchildren to love, Eliana and Teddy, ages 8 and 6.