William Woodruff Green

William Woodruff Green, age 88, passed from this world on December 9, 2014. He was born on Independence Day with his twin sister, Jean. He leaves behind a wife, Joanne, 5 children, Michael, Susan, Lawrence, Nancy and David, and their spouses, and 12 grandchildren. As one of 9 children, he also leaves behind 3 brothers, Howard, Mickey and Donnie, and 2 sisters, Martha and Helen, and 19 nieces and nephews and their children. (His sisters, Eleanor, Betty, and Jean, preceded him.) Known as Bill or “T-Willie”, he lived all of his life in the Highland Heights area of Memphis, until 2012 when he moved to Cordova. He graduated from Treadwell High School and was a life-long member at Highland Heights Methodist Church. Bill loved sports, both as a participant and as a spectator. In high school, he broke his arm playing backyard football. He liked to golf, ice skate, roller skate, and play baseball. Bill was an excellent bowler and once bowled a 267 scratch. He taught baseball player Tim McCarver how to ride a bicycle and enjoyed being a ‘big brother’ to the neighborhood kids. He had a wonderful sense of humor, a gorgeous face and smile, was a sharp dresser, and was a jolly person to be around. Bill helped his parents in the family business, Highland Heights Cleaners, and became an owner as an adult. He served in WWII, in the rifle brigade, from July 1944 to the end and remained during the occupation. He even attended the Nuremberg Trials for a day. After the war, Bill worked at the cleaners for more than 40 years then at Wayne’s Candy company. A life-long Cardinals fan, he finally attended a game against the Phillies in St. Louis in June of 2014. He also went to the top of the Gateway Arch, 96 steps included, despite his age. Bill loved to be outdoors and, until the last couple of years, would walk up to 7 miles a day. He also loved to work with his hands, loved Tops Bar-B-Q, and often had a rubber band or two around his wrist. Bill had a lot of friends in this world who enjoyed his company and thought the world of him. He worked very hard all his life to do the best he could for his family. He loved his parents, his siblings and their children, and his own family very much and would do anything he could for anyone. Bill died in St. Louis, Missouri at his daughter’s home from the effects of stomach cancer. His final resting place is with his parents at Memorial Park on Poplar Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee.