Carol A. Greiner

Carol Ann Greiner (nee Morrissey), the wife of former University at Buffalo President William

Greiner, died Tuesday March 24th of natural causes, surrounded by family at her home in

Williamsville. She was 84.

Carol Greiner will be remembered as a quintessential University citizen, a tireless advocate for UB,

an active civic leader, a warm and giving friend, and loving mother to her four children and thirteen

grandchildren.

Carol and Bill Greiner began what was to become a life-changing journey to Buffalo in 1967, when

Bill accepted a position on the Law faculty at the University at Buffalo. The couple soon became

a fixture at the University, community events, local politics, and youth sports. Bill rose through

the ranks at UB, and with Carol’s support, eventually led the University as it’s 13th President.

In addition to raising four children, Carol worked throughout her life as a community volunteer and

supporting student life at UB. Carol lived a long life of public service. While living in Seattle, she

organized a campaign to raise funds for the establishment of the first kidney dialysis center in that

city. She was a longtime member of the Kiwi Club, organizing a national alliance of stewardesses,

a PTA member and President, Cub and Girl Scout leader, and she helped organize the first Teen

Center in Amherst.

She served on numerous boards, including the American Association of Universities Partners, a

term as Chair of the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges, and the

Executive Committee of the Partner's Program of the Association of American Universities (AAU).

Locally she served on the boards of the Bethel Head Start Language Development Program, the

Amherst Youth Foundation, the Women's Committee of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra,

Women at Studio Arena Theatre, Women for Downtown, the UB Women's Club, and the Friends

of the UB Center for the Arts.

While remembered for her prominent roles in the community and at UB, Carol was born to

extremely humble beginnings in Meriden Connecticut, the daughter of Robert and Lydia Morrissey,

a mailman and factory worker. She was a star athlete at Meriden High School, and from age five

throughout her high school years she danced with childhood friend Tomie dePaolo, the famed

children’s book author and illustrator. The couple performed throughout Connecticut and

performed in the industrial show circuit in New York City, winning several competitions. Mr.

dePaolo remembered her “…as my oldest and very best friend in the world. Carol was talented,

vivacious, and never took no for an answer. ‘Senorita Swing,’ as I knew her, was the one person

who would play dress-up with me. Half my heart is gone.”

After high school, Carol was accepted to the University of Connecticut. After University, she was

accepted into the American Airlines training program in Chicago, completing the program as its

outstanding graduate. She then moved to Dallas, and for two years worked as a stewardess on most

of American’s domestic flight routes. On West Coast runs she frequently met celebrities, including

her idol Gene Kelly, who helped her serve breakfast to the plane’s passengers. Later she helped

organize and served on flights that transported refugees from the Hungarian uprising to new homes

in America.

According to Carol’s oldest son Kevin Greiner: “My mother was fiercely independent, competitive,

and felt strongly about public service — values she passed on to each of us. What most people

don’t know is that she was also way ahead of her time. In the late 1950’s, when women her age

were expected to marry and start raising children, she moved across the country to start a career

on her own. By the time she was 24, she saw more of the country than most people see in a lifetime.

That attitude, and experience, led to a lifetime of working for women’s rights in the workplace, and

promoting opportunities for women to advance within UB.”

Her early life was marked by adventure, and her entire life was defined by her story book romance

with Bill. The two met as youngsters in Meriden, and by high school were officially sweethearts.

Though Carol loved her work, when Bill proposed she bowed to company policy forbidding

married stewardesses and left the airline. After traveling the country on a 90-day gift pass from

American’s management, the two began a life together in which they were never far apart. The

couple moved to Seattle, where Bill accepted a position at the University of Washington, and

promptly started a family, raising four children — Kevin, Terrence, Daniel, and Susan.

Bill freely admitted that he never would have had the life or career he had without Carol. She put

her own career on hold to support him during law school. In an interview in 1999 he said as much:

“Through all this, Carol is my partner. The truth is I’d be much more reluctant to do a lot of things

I do if she didn’t come with me...It sounds trite, but it’s like that line from the movie ‘Jerry Maguire.’

She completes me.”

According to Tom Headrick, one of Carol and Bill’s oldest friends who was recruited to join UB

as Dean of the Law School in 1976: “In 1958 Carol formed the Yale law students’ wives club, and

immediately, in her gregarious way, befriended my wife Maggie and me. Our lives were interwoven

from then on — Carol’s enthusiasm was infectious, and as a couple they had a unique magnetism.

Those same qualities shaped her life with Bill as a partner both in love and in his role as UB leader.

Carol was the one who insisted that Bill build connections not just with faculty and state leaders,

but an emotional bond with students and the people across Buffalo. In her mind and heart, the

University was a family living in a neighborhood where everyone cared for each other. She inspired

and guided Bill and together they made UB a much better and friendlier place.”

Carol was known for her spirit, boundless energy, generosity, and deep commitment to family. She

often talked about how fortunate she was to live the life she did and travel the world with Bill in

support of the University’s many initiatives. Yet she also built an established public service career

in her own right. It was during Bill’s tenure as President that she led multiple initiatives at the

University and across Western New York supporting access to higher education for students of

limited means.

According to and Cindy Letro: “I’ll never forget as a student seeing Carol picking up Bill in front

of the law school with all the kids in the back seat. Carol and Bill were coequals in their love of the

University and of every student. They left their mark on all of us and UB, and our community is

better for knowing them. Carol and Bill were giants in our lives. Amazing people with big hearts

and personalities. Carol made a difference in hundreds of lives, and such a bright spirit —

beautiful, strong and committed to all she cared about.”

Carol was also known for the deep friendships she forged throughout her life. Carol Petro, who

knew Carol from her early days in Buffalo, put it this way: “Carol was a warm and gracious woman

—- always ready to laugh and enjoy the moment. She welcomed the stranger and took pleasure in

her friends.”

Mary Kate O'Connell, who for years led DIVA, A Celebration of Women! Noted that “…her class,

kindness, generosity, humor, love, dedication, strength and, friendship represented the DIVA

Sisterhood. Her favorite quote from the show was, ‘The best kind of friend is the kind you can sit

on a porch and swing with, never say a word, and then walk away feeling like it was the best

conversation you've ever had.’ She also made sure to say in each show that ‘Dreams do come true

if you keep believing in yourself. Anything is possible.’ Thank you for you, my friend.”

Carol Greiner will be dearly missed by her four children and thirteen grandchildren. Funeral

services will be private. A public memorial service will be held later this year.

Those whom we love and lose

are no longer where they were before.

They are now wherever we are.

(Attributed to St. John Chrysostum)

In lieu of flowers, you can direct donations to UB Center for the Arts, Carol Greiner Memorial Fund, UB Foundation, Box 900 Buffalo ,NY 14226-0900