John Greenwood

John Greenwood, former bank vice president and officer in the United States Marine Corps, died of natural causes in Fullerton, California on 12 July 2018. He was 88 years old. Mr. Greenwood had been a longtime resident of Fullerton, having moved there in 1963 with his family. In southern California he pursued a career in banking. John Greenwood was born on 24 January 1930 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where his father, Heman Greenwood, was working for General Electric. His parents, Heman and Evelyn Greenwood, had moved to Brazil in 1920. John’s older sister and brother had also been born in Brazil. While there he was exposed to the language of Portuguese, one of three languages at which he would become proficient. In 1935 the Greenwood family returned to the United States, settling in Scarsdale, New York, where John grew up. His parents had decided to return to the U.S. for a number of reasons, including their concern about the growth of Nazi influence in South America during the mid-1930s. John always had appreciated the opportunities available to him in Scarsdale, including a good education and a wide variety of cultural and recreational opportunities. At Scarsdale High School John excelled at both basketball and boxing. After graduating from Scarsdale High School, John entered Dartmouth University, earning a bachelor’s degree in geography. He went on to earn an MBA at Stanford University in 1956. John loved to read and learn, and he had a great intellectual curiosity in a variety of areas, all of which he shared enthusiastically with his children and grandchildren. In 1952 Mr. Greenwood enlisted in the Marine Corps. After completing officer training, he served with the 3rd Marine Division in Japan during the last year of the Korean conflict. Subsequently, he completed assignments in logistics at Camps Lejeune and Pendleton. He was discharged from the USMCR as a captain in 1968. His enthusiastic interest in the Marine Corps continued for the rest of his life. In 1953 he married Joan Voss, also of Scarsdale, New York. They had met at Scarsdale High School. Throughout their marriage of nearly 51 years they shared their mutual love of traveling, the arts, and languages. During the 1950s they traveled in Japan, India, and parts of the Middle East and Europe. After the births of their two children in the early 1960s they settled in southern California. Theirs was a marriage of equality, mutual respect, shared interests and perspectives, and companionship. John always treated Joan as an equal. They divided all the various tasks and chores of marriage and parenting equally. On the occasion of Joan’s funeral in 2004, one family friend remarked that while many men spoke of marital equality, John lived it. Twice during the 1950s the Greenwood lived in Japan, in 1953-4 and then again from 1957 to 1960. During their first stay, John was stationed in Japan as part of the 3rd Marine Division. During their second stay in Japan, John worked for Bank of America, while Joan taught English at Kobe College. While in Japan the couple developed proficiency in Japanese. After Joan’s death in 2004, John shared his experiences in postwar Japan, along with his and his wife’s letters written during that period, with Professor of History, Kristine Dennehy of the California State University, Fullerton. Professor Dennehy used these letters and the other information Mr. Greenwood provided as the bases for an article about Americans living in Japan after World War II. In 1960 the Greenwoods returned to the U.S. After a brief Marine Corps assignment in Barstow, the couple moved to Chicago, where they lived from 1961 to 1963. There their two children, Neil and Mary, were born. In 1963 the Greenwoods moved to Fullerton, California, which would become home for the family. For the next 25 years Mr. Greenwood worked as a vice president and bank officer for a number of different banks in Los Angeles and Orange County. In this capacity he particularly enjoyed starting up new branches and developing entrepreneurial opportunities for business people in disadvantaged areas of southern California. John generously gave of his time through active participation in a number of service organizations in southern California, including serving as both board member and president in the Foreign Trade Association of Southern California, the Los Angeles Headquarters City Association, the Los Angeles Job Development Corporation, and the Dartmouth Club of Southern California. After Joan died in 2004, John became involved with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute chapter at California State University, Fullerton, participating actively in classes, panels, and the leadership of this organization. He also attended several reunions of his Marine Corps officer training class and gave generously to several charities affiliated with the Marine Corps. In addition, he collected the haiku that Joan had written during their marriage for publication. As a husband, father, grandfather, and friend John was compassionate, patient, rational, and supportive. He always had time for family and friends, and he left these qualities for his children and grandchildren. He was predeceased by his wife in 2004, his sister Ann Small in 2008 and his brother Frank Greenwood in 2011. He is survived by a son and a daughter, Mary Faley (Mike Faley) of Orange, California, and Neil Greenwood (Gail) of Delano, Tennessee; three granddaughters, Erin Kelly, Ellen Faley, and Leah Greenwood; three grandsons, Patrick Faley, Conor Faley, and Trevor Greenwood; and many friends. Funeral services will be held at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Fullerton at 10:00 am on July 23 with a luncheon to follow at the CSUF Marriot Hotel. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to either Toy’s for Tots, CSUF OLLI or Goodwill-Faley Special Games. Checks can be mailed to 2146 E. Brentford Ave, Orange, CA 92867.