Obituary of William Green

A MIGHTY TREE WHOSE ROOTS RUN DEEP HAS FALLEN WILLIAM “BILL” GREEN was gifted to us by God with his entrance into this world on August 24,1935. Immediately, his roots began to dig deep and spread into the earth, accepting nourishment from Mother Earth and firmly grounded in the Word of God. We do not know the day or the hour we will depart…. He (“Bill”) trusted and believed in God’s Word and just as “Bill” did, we shall as well (“Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man cometh”. Matt. 24:44) On Thursday morning, April 9, 2020 our beloved “Bill” answered the Master’s Call to return home. His Roots Roots serve as anchors, gripping tightly into Mother Earth. They form a symbiotic union with the earth, drawing from her various nutrients and water. Tree roots can span for miraculous lengths - like branches - ever reaching out for more. This is metaphoric of our own inner root systems of beliefs and spirituality. We must dig deep, and be firmly rooted in a structured system of beneficent beliefs. It's the only way we are insured for upward mobility. William, the third child of four born to the late Catherine and James Green in Charleston, SC was affectionately known to most as Bill, Billy to his siblings, Uncle Bill to his nieces and nephews, Mr. Green to the community who loved him, Grandpa to his Grandchildren and “Da” or Daddy to his children. His mother Catherine Green transitioned at the early age of 27 to Tuberculosis, leaving him (at the age of 3) and his 3 siblings to be raised by his father, his grandmother Emma Nicks (Poinsett) and Grandfather James Nicks in Strawberry, SC. He would share beautiful stories of nostalgia of his grandmother's love and his love for shrimpin’ and crabbin’ by the Cooper River Bridge as a young boy in those days. In recent years (2018) he recalled a childhood memory of being passed over the casket of his late mother during her funeral service (until recently he’d always regarded this as a mere dream). He shared this with his daughter Catherine and upon research William was shocked to find that passing a baby over the casket of a deceased parent is a West African Tradition that continued its practice in Gullah communities in South Carolina and the Carribean following the middle passage. The satisfaction of knowing that this powerful memory was indeed real and not a dream brought tears of joy to him. William received his early education in Charleston, SC at Immaculate Conception School and was a member of Ebenezer A.M.E. Church until the family moved to New York City in 1950. As a teenager in New York City he continued his education at Boys High School in Brooklyn. His trunk The tree trunk is an incredible design. Outer tree bark protects the whole from potentially harsh cruelties of the world - while on the inside there is an intricate system of circulation and energetic flow. Trees are renewed from the inside out. This is sacred wisdom passed on from tree to humankind: Our prime source for renewal must first be activated from within. William enlisted in the United States Army in 1958 and loved his days serving in the armed forces. Here he traveled to Germany and worked as a missile crewman making many lifelong friendships. He documented his time abroad in a series of Black & White photographs in which he preserved and presented to his family at every opportunity he could find. After completing his services in the Army, he secured a position as a bus operator with New York City Transit Authority. He worked out of the Flatbush Depot in Brooklyn, NY retiring in 1990. After retirement, he kept himself busy by volunteering at ARTs East New York, a non-profit arts organization founded by his daughter Catherine. William became the backbone of the organization, helping to set up events, installing gallery exhibitions, managing the community cultural center and maintaining tech and equipment. He became the face of the organization and the community grew to know and love him dearly with many students even calling him Grandpa Green. His Branches Trees are never about limitation. Branches express a diverse focus on generosity; they are ever-extending themselves to reach out for more, and more and more. Through their branches trees are always seeking more light, more freedom, more nourishment, more awareness William was a strong family oriented man with a kind, selfless and supportive nature. He was known for the love he had for his children, grandchildren and community. Whenever someone needed help, he was always there to assist. He was an inspiration to the lives of many with his wise and encouraging outlook. His hands were magical, he could fix anything he put his mind to as he was passionate for engineering. He had a passion for taking care of plants and flowers, his nurturing green thumb bringing life to all he touched. His Leaves When unfurled in their luscious glory, leaves express themselves in a myriad of colors. Most predominantly however, they reveal themselves in viridian greens - a color notorious for healing, abundance, and vitality in life. William is preceded in death by his parents James and Catherine Green, his Life-Partner Georgia Bussey, his eldest brother Robert “Bobby” Green, his sisters Grace Lee Green-Jackson and Emily Patricia Green and his daughter Yvonne Michelle “Shelley” Hewett. To cherish his memory, he leaves his siblings Yvonne Graves and Paul Green of Salisbury, Maryland; his children Wiliam King (Ellen King) of Harlem,NY, Altrinna Slade of Brooklyn,NY and Catherine A. Green-Johnson (Kojo Johnson) of South Orange, NJ; his grandchildren Tilea and Kaneil Slade, Kayla King, Treonna and Starkisha Adams, Shavon Ahmad (Tariq Ahmad), Brittney Smith, Roman and Skylar Livingston, Nasira, William and Noah Greene and Juanita, Asili, Tamish and Tajdar Johnson; several Great-Grands; a grandniece Jasmine Green and a host of cousins and other relatives and dedicated friends. “ Well Done Good and Faithful Servant”