Brownie E. Green

Brownie (Grinkevicz) Green, 92, formerly of Norwood and Cotuit, died peacefully on Saturday, May 11, at Life Care in Plymouth with family at his side. He was married to the late Marie Gray, his high school love, for 59 years.

He was a devoted father to his three children; Robert and his wife Susan of Duxbury, Wally and his wife Linda of Merrimack, NH, and Betsey Sanford and her husband Tom of Sagamore Beach; a loving grandfather “Grampy” to Brittany Green and her husband Jamie Nickerson and Gillian Green, Katie (Green) Emery and Christine (Green) Sybert and her husband Scott, Michael Sanford and his wife Jenn and Melissa (Sanford) White and her husband Chris. As Great Grampy he enjoyed 7 great-grandchildren: Zachary, Leaundra, David, Bryana, Kalee, Brady “Little Bumbizzer” and Gavin.

Born in Brockton on October 6, 1920, Brownie was the son of Martin (Grinkevicz) Green and Elizabeth Kaseta, both originally of Lithuania. He was the brother of the late Martin Green of Walpole.

In 1938, he graduated from Norwood High School, after which he married Marie in 1941. Later he and Marie organized many of their class reunions.

For 34 years he worked for the Bird & Son of Norwood, then, after a brief hiatus in retail, for Bird Machine. There he became a self-taught machinist, who was then promoted to inspection and quality control, which entailed travel around the United States, Canada, and eventually France.

Brownie thoroughly enjoyed the out-of-doors whether it was fishing the Cape Cod Canal, duck hunting at High Pines on Duxbury Beach, or seasonal camping on Curlew Pond in Myles Standish State Forest. Eventually he and his family summered in their cottage on Big Sandy Pond in Plymouth. After he retired to Cotuit, he and Marie wintered in Indian Shores, Florida, for 12 years with friends.

He was a lover of seafood, an avid gardener, and a passionate cook. Whether it was homemade pizza over a campfire or 100 pounds of homemade kielbasa, he loved to cook and to create new recipes. His blueberry bread was renowned and generously shared with all he met. At holidays his family eagerly awaited his blueberry pies, pineapple Easter cakes and his half sour pickles.

Brownie always had a special connection with those he met. He knew how to make people feel appreciated and valued. So, while his family’s hearts ache at their loss, they are comforted and guided by the strength of his values and the belief that he and Marie (Nana) are together once again.

Visiting hours will be held on Thursday, May 16, 2013 from 4 pm until the time of the memorial service at 6:30 pm in the Nickerson-Bourne Funeral Home, 40 MacArthur Blvd. in Bourne. Burial in Highland Cemetery in Norwood will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to Cranberry Hospice, 36 Cordage Park Circle, Suite 326, Plymouth, MA 02360.