Mr. Greene was born in Mobile, Alabama on December 12, 1933, to the late John Vidmond Greene and Rubye Estelle Criswell. He was the brother of Emory Paul Greene and the late John V. Greene Jr., Inez Greene Bryant and Ida “Becky” Greene Richardson.
Mr. Greene is survived and deeply missed by his devoted wife of 42 years, Betty Clark Greene; his children, James David Greene Jr. (Tonja) and Amy Greene Grimm (Jason); and his beloved grandchildren Zackery James Mercer, James David Greene III (Grace), Kara Elizabeth Greene, William Jackson Clark Mercer, John Alexander Greene. He will be forever cherished and remembered by each of them for his unwavering love, wisdom, and faith.
Mr. Greene attended Vigor High School. After high school, he joined the United States Marine Corps and proudly served his country from 1953 to 1957 aboard the aircraft carrier, USS Coral Sea, in the Mediterranean. The discipline and sacrifice Mr. Greene learned during his service carried into the remarkable life he led.
Following his military career, Mr. Greene worked for International Paper Company for 43 years in the Electrical Instrumentation Department. He retired in 1995 after leading the modernization and automation of the company as it grew.
Mr. Greene dedicated his life to Christ as a young man and was a steadfast beacon of faith and integrity throughout his years. Mr. Greene was a man who put Christ first in everything he did. He was a member of College Park Baptist Church for over 40 years, where he served faithfully as President of his Sunday School, the “Fishers of Men”. He was known for calling each class member each week to encourage them and pray with them. His legacy will live on as a reminder to serve others and lead a Christ-centered life.
Known by many as “Clean Greene”, Mr. Greene always took pride in having the cleanest and shiniest car around. He had a lifelong love of vehicles and was always ready to “make a deal on one”. Gifted with incredible mechanical ability, he had the talent to fix most everything and coined the phrase “just paper mill it”, meaning he would find a way to fix it and it always worked.
The Greene family would like to express their heartfelt gratitude to the staff of Spring Hill Medical Center, especially the nurses, physicians, and his caregivers who compassionately cared for Mr. Greene in his final days.
Graveside services and interment will be held at the Alabama State Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Spanish Fort on Friday, October 17, 2025, at 9 a.m. A Celebration of Life will be held following the service at the home of David and Tonja Greene 2550 South Delwood Drive, Mobile, Alabama. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to the College Park Baptist Church Building Fund, 8600 Celeste Road, Saraland, Alabama 36575. Condolences may be offered at www.radneyfuneralhome-mobile.com.
