He began working at the Magnavox Company in 1947, retiring from Philips Consumer Electronics following 41 years of combined service.
He was an active life-long member of Mt. Hebron United Methodist Church where he was a member of the choir and served as Sunday School Superintendent and Sunday School Teacher. He also belonged to the Mt. Hebron Men of Faith, and was twice chosen as their Man of the Year.
He was a member of the VFW #1990 and the American Legion. He was a member of the Naval Air Force, serving in the Pacific Theater.
Following World War II, he began an outstanding semi-pro baseball career with the VFW, where Sam Alexander was his manager. The same Sam Alexander who managed the Burley Cubs in the Appalachian League from 1938 until the league disbanded in 1942 because of the war.
Following his tenure with the VFW team in the Tennessee Valley League, he became the manager of the Magnavox team, where he won 15 consecutive state championships in the National Baseball Congress. He made 8 trips to the National Tournament in Wichita, Kansas, where they finished as high as 5th and never won less than one game during National Tournament play. In addition to his baseball, he was an avid golfer, where he loved to play with his friends and fellow members at Link Hills Country Club.
Survivors include his wife of 64 years: Colleen H. Greene; son: Richard A. Greene II of Greeneville; brother and sister-in-law: Brumley and Jane Greene of Greeneville; sister: Shirley Stephenson of Greeneville; sister-in-law: Janice Hawkins of Mountain City, Tennessee; and several nieces and nephews.
He was the son of the late Oscar T. and Carrie Tilson Greene and was preceded in death by a brother and sister-in-law: Klon and Frances Greene; a sister and brother-in-law: Evelyn and Earnest Campbell; two brothers-in-law: Dayton Hawkins and J. N. Stephens; father-in-law and mother-in-law: Wiley and Vada N. Hawkins; and two half-brothers: Howard Greene and Burl Greene.
The family will receive friends 2-4 and 5-8pm Saturday at Kiser-Rose Hill Funeral Home and 30 minutes preceding the service at Mt. Hebron United Methodist Church.
The funeral service will be held at 2:30pm Sunday, April 14, 2013, at Mt. Hebron United Methodist Church with Rev. Steve Tuck officiating.
Interment will follow in Mt. Hebron Cemetery. The Greene County Honor Guard and the U.S. Navy Military Honors Team will conduct a military graveside service.
Pallbearers will be Elmer Tweed, John Broyles, Daniel Greene, Kipp Stephenson, Riley Stephenson, Charles Click, Corey Click, and Randy Campbell.
Honorary pallbearers will be his church family at Mt. Hebron, Dr. Thomas Beckner and nurse Allison, Dr. Susan Abernathy and staff, Dr. John Boys and radiation/oncology department at Laughlin Memorial Hospital, and Amedysis Hospice.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Mt. Hebron Building Fund, in care of Joyce Morris, 453 Possum Creek Road, Greeneville, TN 37743 or the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, 322 Eighth Ave., 7th Floor, New York, NY 10001 or at alz.org.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18