Pierre Jean Greeff

Pierre Jean Greeff of Tulsa, Oklahoma, passed away peacefully on Monday, January 20, 2025, at the age of 83. Born on June 29, 1941, in Riversdale, South Africa, to his parents, Hugo and Leonie Greeff, Pierre led a life marked by passion, dedication, and an unwavering commitment to helping others.

When Pierre was very young, his family moved to Hermanus, a small town nestled in the coastal mountains of the Southernmost tip of Africa. Sitting on picturesque Walker Bay, Whales migrate from the Arctic each year to birth their young off the coastal cliffs. Pierre grew up with a deep connection to the ocean, spending his days fishing from these cliffs and running down to check on the Fishermen as they pulled their boats into the Old Harbor each day. At the age of 12, he attended Paarl Boys High Boarding School in the Cape. Upon Graduation, he spent one year in the Air Force in service to his country. Afterward, he fulfilled his life-long dream of becoming a doctor by attending medical school at the prestigious University of Cape Town.

Answering an advertisement he found in Time magazine, Pierre applied to residency in the United States, selecting St. Joseph Hospital in Houston, Texas. It was here that Pierre met the love of his life, Dinah Leigh Mullen, where Dinah was working during the summer as a nursing student at the University of Texas. Their connection was immediate and enduring with a marriage spanning 52 years. Together, they raised two sons, Matthew and Tim, creating a family deeply rooted in love and resilience.

Pierre devoted his life to his passion of Surgical Oncology, serving as a beacon of hope and healing for countless patients and their families. A two-time survivor of cancer himself, Pierre brought an exceptional and unrivaled empathy to his bedside manner and treatment of patients. Known for his skill and perseverance, he approached every challenge in the operating room with care and determination, often working long, grueling hours fueled only by a spoonful of JIF peanut butter and his unrelenting resolve to save a life. Pierre held a deep respect and appreciation for the nurses and staff that supported him in the care of his patients. Pierre spent his early years working for the Stehlin Foundation for Cancer Research at St. Joseph Hospital before launching a private practice. For the final 25 years of his career, Pierre served at the Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Tulsa. He retired at the remarkable age of 78, leaving behind a legacy of excellence marked by hundreds of lives saved and their families forever touched by the countless years and memories gained with their loved ones.

Pierre is preceded in death by his parents, Hugo and Leonie Greeff. He is survived by his beloved wife, Dinah Greeff; his sons, Matthew Greeff and Tim Greeff; and his two brothers Andre and Hugo and their families.

Pierre's life will be celebrated on Friday, February 28, 2025, at 3:00 PM at Schaudt Tulsa Funeral Service Chapel. The service will be followed by a reception in Schaudt's Wine Room until 7:00 PM.

Arrangements are entrusted to Schaudt Tulsa Funeral Service & Cremation Care, 5757 South Memorial Drive, Tulsa, OK 74145. Family and friends are encouraged to leave kind words of comfort, share special memories, and extend condolences online at www.schaudtfuneralservice.com.

Pierre will be remembered as a healer, a devoted husband and father, and a man whose life was a testament to self-sacrifice, compassion, dedication, faith, and love.