John W Greene

John Warren Greene went to be with his savior Tuesday, January 26th, 2021. Born on March 2nd, 1945, he was a devoted husband to Becky for 30 years. He was a loving father to Shannon Lucas (Matthew) of Woodbridge, VA, Kyle Greene of Greenville, SC, Amy Greene Sanders (Brad) of Piedmont, SC, and two bonus sons, Mike Bayne(Lori) of Travelers Rest, SC, and Chris Bayne of Anderson, SC. He was also a loving grandfather to Elizabeth Davidson (Jordan) of Woodbridge, VA, Joseph Greene of Piedmont, SC, Joshua Lucas of Cincinatti, OH, and Patricia Greene of Greenville, SC. Thanks to his bonus sons he was gifted six more grandchildren. He also had 13 great grandchildren and several other extended family members that he welcomed into his heart and home.

John suffered from an early age with Charcot Marie Tooth, a hereditary neuromuscular disease. Doctors predicted that he would be in a wheelchair for most of his adult life. Despite this diagnosis and the cautionary tales, he chose to see life as a beautiful challenge. A challenge that he would work every day to overcome. John never felt like he was navigating life alone, rather he kept his eye on the Lord fueled by equal parts fear and love.

John lived his life spreading the Lord’s message not just through his words and contagious joy but he through his work and ministry. Actively seeking ways to serve the Lord and his community, he assisted his father in the running of Wade Hampton Hardware in Greenville while he simultaneously attended school at Tabernacle Christian. After completing his education, he worked in many capacities from retail to manufacturing. John performed maintenance at a senior community; he also served for over a decade at Mt. Zion Christian Fellowship, which led into the development of his own church in Easley, SC. Alongside his wife, John ran the local branch of Angel Food Ministries for 1997 to 2005. He found his niche and will be fondly remembered for the years he spent teaching and entertaining children as a storyteller and as a clown (MR Purple). Although spreading joy was his primary goal, he cherished his time entertaining children alongside his wife (Paper Rosie).

He defied all the odds. More importantly, he defied his odds with a smile that could brighten anyone’s day. He taught many lessons to his family through his actions. The most cherished will always be that a smile is the light in the window of your soul. We are forever grateful for his smile, his belief in the power of joy, and his ability to spread joy through simple but consistent actions.

John passed away in the presence of his wife and children, who loved him dearly.