John Moses “Bobby” Greene was born in Greensboro to the late Johnny and Eutha Greene on July 23, 1937, and departed this life on July 16, 2021.
Last week, his family dedicated an oak tree in Greensboro’s Robinson Park in his memory and honor.
Mr. Greene served in the United States Army Reserves from June 1953 until August 1957 and separated at the rank of Corporal.
He served as a deacon at Moore’s Chapel Baptist Church in Greensboro for many decades under various leaders. Further, he was a school bus operator in Greene County for more than 26 years, where he didn’t play and the kids— including his own) knew he meant business! Any disorderly conduct may have, and sometimes did, result in him turning the bus around and going back to the school to report the issue.
He started Greene Logging in 1958 and steered it ethically, faithfully, and diligently for over 63 years, with whom both brothers (Buck and Meme) and sons were a part of the enterprise. He conducted logging business in Greene and surrounding counties in Georgia. He knew the logging business from start to finish, could name any tree, believed you should be able to compute figures in your head, and operated on the premise that if you treated people fairly, then you couldn’t go wrong and right would follow you.
He was married to Gennie B. Greene on Aug. 5, 1958, with whom five children were born: Johnny, Lisa, Gail, Steve, and Mark. Three daughters were added to the family: Derome, Louise, and Vivien.
“’Coon” hunting (raccoon) was his first love, but he also loved to work, repair his own equipment when possible, and share his night dreams which he would then connect to current events (he believed all dreams had meaning), and tease, joke, and imitate people for laughs, among other things. One of his favorite songs was “What a Time.”
The oak tree was chosen to memorialize Mr. Greene because it symbolizes honor, nobility and wisdom. It also provides food, shelter, and shade for all kinds of wildlife, even for that which he loved to hunt. Like the oak tree, he had many attributes, including a multitude of patterns that traveled up, down, and around the tree, revealing both smooth and rough spots, and all which come with living.
This loving effort was led by his oldest granddaughter, Titinya T. Greene-Ingram (whom he referred to as “Cutt’in Fuzz”), with allegiance and support from other grandchildren (Jermel Wynn, Rashad Coleman, and Johnny Greene, Jr., and who serve on the Board), to demonstrate their commitment to honoring their grandfather.