Richard "Dick" H. Greene

Richard "Dick" Henry Greene of Gill passed away at the Hospice of the Fisher Home in North Amherst on Friday, August 21, after a brief illness. He was 89.
Dick was born November 7, 1930, at the Franklin County Hospital in Greenfield to Grace (Facy) and John Greene. He was educated locally and graduated from Greenfield High School in 1949. Shortly afterward he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and was sent to Taylor Field in Ocala, Florida, for basic training followed by tours of duty at Travis Air Force base in California and Andersen Air Force Base in Guam.
After he retired as staff sergeant from the USAF, Dick returned to Greenfield and wed his high school sweetheart, Theresa "Terri" Barry, in a ceremony that was performed at the Holy Trinity Church. Their 68th anniversay was August 16.
Dick worked for Caldwell Tree Services for several years until he was hired by I. Kramer & Sons in East Greenfield. He remained there for 37 years and retired as plant manager.
He was a provider and competitor and he relished sports. After he returned from the service he joined the Greenfield Lions, a semi-pro football team that regularly drew crowds into the thousands at Veterans Field. His allegiance to the New England Patriots began when they were the Boston Patriots and the two big stars were named Babe Parilli and Gino Cappelletti.
Dick was quiet and stoic and "a fighter to the end," said his wife Terri.
He was the quintessential outdoorsman, a hunter, fisherman, snowmobiler and skier who'd hit the slopes at Stratton Mountain with his cronies Ducky, Herbie and Jim.
In retirement his passion became splitting and selling cordwood and planting and growing Christmas trees, but his greatest devotion was to his wife Terri and their extended family. On their spacious property he helped three generations of boys grow into men. "My grandfather gave me my work ethic," said his grandson Corey.
Beside his wife Dick leaves three sons, Rick (Mary) of Turners Falls, Jeffrey (Kim) of Westminster VT., and Timothy (Beth) of Killingworth CT., five grandchildren, Shannon (Greene) Santana (Jay), Corey (April), Nicholas, Owen and Connor Greene, and five great grandchildren, Ava, Aden and Aliyah Santana of New Salem, and Chase and Carter Greene of Northfield.
A brother, Robert, pre-deceased Dick in 2019.
Services will be private and at the family's convenience. In leiu of flowers memorial contributions can be made to Franklin County TRIAD, 160 Elm St., Greenfield, MA. 01301, and/or Hospice of the Fisher Home, 1165 N Pleasant St., Amherst, MA. 01002.

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