Jessie was born on July 6, 1936 in Weldon, North Carolina. The only child of Flora
Mae Williams, Jessie spent her early childhood on a farm in North Carolina with
her grandparents. As a teen, she moved to New York to be with her mother and
attended high school in Harlem. She was active in sports: volleyball and track but
her love was track. She was a sprinter with the PAL (Police Athletic League). They
travelled competing across the country but were always subject to the
segregation of the early 1950's. Staying at certain hotels drinking from the proper
water fountain were a part of their life. Despite this they competed, and if it had
not been for breaking her ankle, Jessie would have competed in the 1956
Olympics with Wilma Rudolph.
After high school Jessie worked for the New York Phone Company. She was still
living in Harlem when she met Paul Greene who was living in the same building
with his oldest brother. They were married on January 23,1960. She
affectionately called him “Green-boy” until he preceded her to glory in June of
2000. They moved to Queens where he worked as a letter carrier. She retired
from the phone company to raise their children. When daughters Karen and
Stacey were born, they moved from Queens to West Hempstead, New York. After
Paul retired from the postal service, they both worked as School Crossing Guards
in Rockville Center, New York. Jessie was always an advocate for her children in
the school system and in the community. She worked diligently for the PTA and
tirelessly wrote letters to have the public bus stop moved from in front of their
home in Rockville Center, so that her daughters would remain safe when walking
home.
While in Queens, Jessie was an active member of Trinity Lutheran Church. She
continued to be active at Epiphany Lutheran Church when they moved to Long
Island. When both of their daughters moved to Georgia, Jessie and Paul moved to
Stone Mountain in 1998 to be closer to them. They joined Ousley United
Methodist church where Jessie was the church Secretary. Her main contribution
to the church was in the Care ministry. Her calling was to visit people whenever
they were having surgery or at home sick and shut in. She was never afraid to
drive 30 plus miles to arrive at the hospital with the minister at 5am to pray with
the family before their procedure. She continued driving like this until she was
unable to drive after surgery in 2014. However, she continued to call and check in
on the members as part of her ministry. In recognition of her 20 years of service
to the care ministry, Ousley renamed the Ministry the Jessie Greene Loving Care
Ministry on May 19, 2019.
Jessie is survived by her daughters Karen T. Greene, MD (Glenn Cassius Green Sr.)
and Stacey Laurel Greene Koehnke (George John Koehnke). She has four
grandchildren Glenn C. Green III, Paul James Green, Sinclair Lila Grace Koehnke
and Christian Hovhanes Koehnke. She leaves behind many other beloved family
members and friends.
In lieu of flowers, the family ask that donations be made to the American Kidney Fund (kidneyfund.org) in Jessie's honor.
DONACIONES
The American Kidney Fund11921 Rockville Pike, Suite 300, Rockville, Maryland 20852
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