William V. Greer

William Vinsinger Greer (Will) passed away unexpectedly during the weekend of June 13-15, 2026. He had received his Doctorate in History from Georgia State University in May and was looking forward to beginning a new phase in his professional career in the fall at Georgia State's Perimeter Campus in Atlanta.

Will was born on September 15, 1973, in New York City. He moved to Atlanta with his family the next year, and lived with them in Ansley Park until his graduation from high school in 1992. He attended the Howard School and Woodward Academy.

From the beginning, Will struggled with serious learning disabilities. His educational path was not always straightforward and was interrupted by periods when he worked in other endeavors. He graduated from George Washington University in 1998, and he pursued graduate study at the Universities of Alabama and Florida. Ten years ago, while working in Orlando, Florida, he decided to return to Atlanta to pursue graduate study at Georgia State, receiving, first, a Master's Degree in Public HIstory and, eventually, his Ph.D. In May of this year. Throughout his academic career, he was interested in German History, especially the Nazi period.

Beginning with the "Park Lane Gang", the children of close friends and neighbors on his block in Ansley Park, Will forged strong personal relationships with friends everywhere he lived. These relationships have sustained his family during our period of mourning.

Will leaves behind his parents, Ben and Lynda Greer, his brother and sister-in-law, Scott Greer and Jen Childs, and his niece, Lily Kate Greer. The family would like to acknowledge and express appreciation for some of those who supported Will in his journey: Selma Ridgeway, his mentor at Woodward Academy, Dr. Bill Martin, his physician and counselor, Jane Zettel, his steadfast friend, and Dr. Jared Poley, head of the History Department at Georgia State University and Chair of his dissertation committee

For those who might consider making a memorial gift in Will's memory, the family suggests the Georgia History Department, https://donate.gsu.edu/s/give?dsgt=02051

A gathering to commemorate Will's life will be held at 4:00 p.m. on September 6, 2026, at the Ansley Golf Club, 196 Montgomery Ferry Drive, Atlanta, Georgia 30309.

God bless us every one. To life!