Carol Sagan Greene

Carol "Cari" Sagan Greene, age 83 of League City, Texas, passed away Wednesday, November 27, 2024 in Webster, Texas, with her husband of nearly 60 years at her side. She was born August 5, 1941 in Brooklyn, New York, the daughter of the late Sam and Rachel Sagan. Her brother was Carl Sagan. When she was seven years old, her family moved to Rahway, New Jersey. She graduated from Vail-Deane High School, a private girls' school in Elizabeth, New Jersey. She earned a degree in social work from the University of Miami, graduating in 1963. As a social worker for the state of Florida, she determined eligibility for state aid for blind, elderly, and disabled people. In December 1964, Cari married William "Bill" Greene. They moved to Texas, where she worked in adoptions before starting their family. From 1973 to 1996, they lived in Charleston, West Virginia. There, she held leadership roles in the National Council of Jewish Women and was an active member of Temple Israel. She was a devoted mother to Jonathan and Sharon, investing her time in driving her children to out-of-district elementary schools to support their education, waiting to pick them up from music lessons, and never missing their performances. In 1996, she and Bill returned to Texas. Over 19 years, accumulating 1,647 volunteer hours, she was a Hot Line Volunteer for Bay Area Turning Point, a Houston-area shelter for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. Cari adored horses. She found joy and freedom in riding her horses, Mare-ee and Poral. She also dearly loved her cats, including Yin, Ali, and Bagheera. Cari enjoyed classical music, Broadway shows, and visiting museums. Her favorite type of vacation was cruising to see the world. She visited all seven continents on cruise ships. She is survived by her husband, Bill, her two children, Jonathan (Karen) of Ohio and Sharon (Justin) of New York, and her sister-in-law, Ann Druyan. Cari had a luminous smile and a vivacious personality. The devotion that she and Bill shared for six decades was an inspiration. She will be remembered for her kindness, her enthusiasm for helping people, the values and ethics she lived as a secular Humanist Jew and instilled in her children, and for donating bone marrow three times to prolong her brother's life. She will be laid to rest near her parents, Sam and Rachel, and her brother, Carl, in Lake View Cemetery, Ithaca, New York. Contributions in Cari's memory may be made to Bay Area Turning Point (www.bayareaturningpoint.org) or a charity of your choice. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Carol Sagan (Cari) Greene, please visit our floral store.