Thomas Greene III

1949 - 2020

Thomas B. Greene, III
1949-2020
Thomas Baker Greene, III passed away suddenly on March 10, 2020. Tom was born in Burlington, IA on February 8, 1949 to Marjorie Rennick Greene and Thomas Baker Greene, Jr. His parents soon moved back to their native Tennessee, and he grew up in Knoxville with his three younger siblings Becky, Geoff and Jennifer.
Tom graduated from the Webb School of Knoxville. He then moved to Houston to attend Rice University, where he graduated in 1971. It was during his time at Rice that he met his future wife, Ann.They married at the Rice Memorial Chapel in 1973. Ann and Tom were devoted Rice alumni, both receiving the Meritorious Service Award in 2005. While at Rice, Tom served as a vice president of the Student Association and in leadership roles at Baker College. As an alum, he served as a class chair and as a member of the Fund Council and of the University Standing Committee on Financial Aid. His most significant work was with the Association of Rice Alumni, where he served as a board member, as a member of the Alumni Honors Committee, and as president. Following Rice, he attended The University of Texas School of Law, and after receiving his law degree in 1975 spent many years as a successful litigator. Tom was a partner at the firms of Crain, Winters, Deaton, James & Briggs (now Crain Caton & James); Ware, Snow, Fogel, Jackson & Greene; and Kajander & Greene and spent his final years as a solo practitioner.
Aside from his educational and professional accomplishments, Tom will be remembered most for his love of his family and friends. He was especially proud of his two children, Clare and Thomas: with Clare he shared a love of film photography and spent countless hours with her sharing his knowledge and expertise; with Thomas he shared a love of sports, attending several memorable events together, rooting for his beloved Tennessee Volunteers, and competing annually for fantasy football championships. He was known for his enduring friendships from every stage in his life, and his family and friends often relied on him to be a calming, supportive influence in times of crisis. Despite attending The University of Texas, Tennessee was known in the Greene household as "the real UT," and he was a enthusiastic supporter of the local Tennessee alumni group.
Tom is survived by his wife Ann Patton Greene, daughter Clare Greene and son Thomas (Brandi) Greene; sisters Rebecca (Mark) Greene Udden and Jennifer Greene; sister-in-law Katy (Clyde) Patton Hays; and nieces Jennifer Udden and Abigail Udden. He is preceded in death by his parents, his brother Geoff, and his in-laws Margaret and Pat Patton. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Rice University, Office of Development MS-81, P. O. Box 1892, Houston, TX 77251-1892 or Main Street Theater, 2540 Times Blvd., Houston, TX 77005.
A memorial service will be held at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, 1805 W. Alabama, on March 14, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. with a reception to follow.