Obituary of Richard Green

Richard Green, 70, of Staten Island, NY, passed away on January 1, 2021. Hew was the beloved husband of Paula Marie Green (nee Johnson) for 49 years. He was a loving father to his daughter, Tamaika and her husband Jonathan, and to his four sons Richard, James, Joseph and his wife Sharon, and Douglas Green. He was also the cherished and very proud grandfather of Ava Simone Brown. Richard will forever be remembered by his sister Danette Flemming, by his brothers Russell, Joseph, and Ganzie Flemming, and by his sisters in law Georgette Johnson, and Candace Knight and her husband Philandor. Richard also leaves behind his dear aunt, Clementine O'Neal, better known to all as Aunt Mickey, along with a host of nieces, cousins, friends, and extended family. Richard was born and raised in Manhattan, but for those that know him, he was always proud to let anyone and everyone know he was from Harlem, USA. When asked, he'd say he was from Harlem or from "uptown". He graduated from William H. Taft High School in the Bronx. After high school, he was hired by Con Edison on March 3, 1969. Con Edison was Richard's sole employer. He started as an electrician and worked his way up to management, retiring from his role managing a gas operations crew in 2010. Richard was an extremely hard-working man, who loved his family and provided for them. In fact, when his wife was six months pregnant with their firstborn, Tamaika, he insisted that his wife not work any longer so that she could stay home and raise the children and take care of home. Richard was known for his no nonsense, tough exterior. Some people might even say they never saw him smile. While that might be true, those that really and truly knew him, understood that deep down inside, he was, as many like to call him, "a teddy bear". You just had to peel back a lot of layers. Once his granddaughter Ava was born in 2013, all of those layers just melted away. Richard had a unique way of expressing his care and concern for people. He might give you an eye roll, a slick remark, a silly face, or a slight head nod as you entered the Kingdom Hall. But if he did one of those things, you knew you were alright with him. It could also be him driving to your house in the middle of the night because you needed something—or perhaps you just needed to talk. It could also be him offering a single parent to take their children along with his family on the annual family vacation to Florida. Richard was baptized in January of 1971 as a member of the Mid-Island Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses on Staten Island. After baptism Richard went on to enjoy many privileges in service to Jehovah throughout his life. He served as a Ministerial Servant for a period of time. He also served as an elder for many years. During those years he served as the Theocratic Ministry School Overseer, Secretary, and Coordinator of the Body of Elders. He enjoyed working at the Jersey City Assembly Hall. He served as a tour guide alongside his daughter for several years and enjoyed meeting friends from all over the world. In recent years he volunteered his time working at the new world headquarters in Warwick, NY. After serving as an elder for many years, Richard went on to enroll in the full-time ministry and he graduated from Pioneer Service School in 2011. After retirement, Richard purchased a condo in Ocoee, Florida. He would stay there for weeks at a time during the year relaxing, swimming, and spending time with family and friends from the Pine Hills Congregation. Richard had a larger than life personality and will truly be missed by all.