Elmer Wesley Green Sr.

Bertha Lee Green in McKinney, Texas. When he was two years old, Elmer, his older brother

Jimmy and his mother, Bertha, moved to Phoenix, Arizona. He was a beautiful little boy with

curly hair and light brown eyes, who was calm, quiet and very well-mannered. The

characteristics he had as a young boy were constant throughout his life and as an adult, those

same characteristics never wavered. His parents, Bertha Lee Walker and John Wesley Green;

one brother, Jimmy Lee Green; wife and mother of his children, Hazel Hendrix-Green; son,

Floyd Terrance Green and wife, Wanda Williams-Green preceded him in death.

At five years old, Elmer began attending Booker T. Washington Elementary School. When he

first started at Booker T., he lived in the corner house on 12th St and Adams and met his first

best friend who lived nearby, Wilfred Johnson. Wilfred would walk Elmer home; they would tell

each other goodbye and then Elmer would walk Wilfred home and then they would say goodbye

again – they would do this several times within minutes. It’s a memory that Elmer would always

share with many laughs. Elmer spent his childhood on the east side going to the movies at the

Fox, Rialto, Azteca and the Ramona with Wilfred as well as Jimmy, whom he affectionately

called “Brother”. He picked up good work ethics early in life when he shined shoes at different

locations, the corner of 16th St and Van Buren, downtown Phoenix and in Monroe Court. He

loved being a boy scout, it kept him busy and out of trouble. The meetings were held at the

“scout house” right across the street from his Adams Street home. For two summers, Elmer

would travel to Stockton, California to pitch watermelons and Rev. Bernard Black would make

that trip with him.

He was an excellent student and even though he was quiet, he was a leader; in the eighth

grade he was the junior safety patrol. Sports meant everything to him and his interest began

while at Booker T. In the early morning when there was no school, Elmer would go to the Phillis

Wheatley Community Center, at 14th St and Jefferson to shoot baskets all alone. It would take

him longer to make it home as he practiced offensive and defensive moves with his imaginary

opponent and the streetlight was his spotlight. Elmer would walk around class on his hands

everyday, which he believes helped his balance and agility. All of his interest in basketball as a

child from being at any neighborhood parks, community centers and boys and girls clubs, led

him to many achievements throughout his high school and college careers and the nickname

“Eye Buddy”, which meant “in your eye” because he seldom missed no matter his age, team or

school.

He attended Phoenix Technical High School where he excelled in class subjects’ math, English

and studied architecture. In football, he played offense and defense but his favorite position was

wide receiver and he always said no matter what the QB threw and where he was on the field

he was going to catch it. On the Hornets basketball team, he was shooting and point guard and

he sometimes played center and forward; whatever was needed game by game and play by

play. With Phoenix Tech, Elmer won the 1953 State Championship and he was named All-State

in 1954. When Elmer graduated Class of 1955, he would be voted Most Likely to Succeed.

Elmer looked up to his peers, Charles Christopher and Frank Tease, who were also great

athletes in their own rights. He turned down an offer at New Mexico A&M to attend Phoenix

College for football and basketball, because Frank Tease also attended there. While attending

Phoenix College, Elmer would be named Junior College All-American. An opportunity to play in

the Junior College All-American Bowl was just at his fingertips. The game would take place in

Alabama, but he was told that he could not play because he was black. Elmer received a

football scholarship from University of Arizona and after a year, Elmer quit college for his union

with Hazel Hendrix. There were so many athletic achievements that he was proud of. He was

so elated when in 2015, he was inducted into the first annual Phoenix Union High School

District Hall of Fame. Even with all of his accolades, he was a good sportsman and such a

humble man.

Elmer worked at an aluminum company for two years but he wanted something better because

he had two daughters and a son. He was hired at Arizona Public Service as a meter reader and

retired as a field collector after 28 years. Sitting at home has never been his desire so a year

later, he was hired by the Internal Revenue Service and retired in 2018 as a secretary.

Throughout the 57 years of working 9-5 jobs, he always did more after work; bartending at

private parties with Bob Banks, working at Hermosa Park in the gym and 15-year contract

cleaning four Arizona Federal Credit Unions in Phoenix and Tempe, Arizona.

He will be remembered by many beyond basketball and football. Elmer loved golf and that’s one

of reasons he became a member of Desert Mashie Golf Club. He has always loved music and

instruments and when his children were little he would serenade them with his self-made

bamboo flute. Later playing the tambourine was a crowd favorite and he was lovingly called

“The Tambourine Man”.

Although Elmer wasn’t a man of many words, he channeled the energy of Dr. Martin Luther

King, Jr. every year for decades reciting “I Have a Dream” followed by the Eulogy all over the

Valley, sometimes accompanied by Dr. Fish on keys. He memorized seven Dr. King speeches

throughout his lifetime and Desiderata was his favorite poem and he would often recite it to

family and peers.

Elmer leaves to cherish his memory, one son; Elmer Green Jr. of Phoenix, Arizona, three

daughters, Kim Green, Dawn Green-Agent and Hazel Green of Phoenix, Arizona, four

grandchildren; Marcelle Green, NiAmbi` Agent, Khadijah Naylor and Truth Small,

great-grandchildren; Djimon Green, Saevon Clark and Roderick Smith, two great-great

grandchildren; Zade Small and Takhyi Clark and three cousins; Bobbie Harvey of Hayward,

California, Joe Arthur McGowan of San Francisco, California and Betty Greer of McKinney,

Texas; and a host of other family, friends and a special brotherhood with Wilfred Johnson, Sr.

and Leonard Walker, Sr.