John P. "Top" Greene

John P. "Top" Greene passed on Saturday, May 15, 2004.
He was born January 22, 1920 to the late George W. and Aultie Haywood Greene of Raleigh, North Carolina. He was the remaining sibling of that union. John was a lifelong resident of the Historic South Park Community in Raleigh. He was educated in the Raleigh Public Schools and is an alumnus of Washington High School.
He and his family were lifelong members of St. Paul AME Church, where he served as trustee; and in many capacities in the building and maintenance of the church as a worship and service facility for the faith community.
John is so widely known as "Top" that it has been added to his nomenclature. He proudly served three years in the Unites States Army and is a veteran of World War II and the Korean War. Upon leaving the military he joined the family business, Haywood Funeral Home, where he worked with his uncle, C.A. Haywood, Sr., and cousins Charles, Lorenzo, and Ray, Sr. For more than fifty years, he loved working with his family and the many families he met and supported through his sensitive and caring business interactions. In declining health he remained active with the business through the continuing support of the Haywood family legacy, with Lorenzo, Ray, Jr., and Karl.
John P. "Top" Greene was well known and valued for his lifelong commitment to community service. As a community selected spokes- person he stood firmly to community, persisting, and ensuring representation in the initiation and development of planning that impacted on the quality of life in Raleigh. For more than thirty years of volunteer community service, he worked diligently with many City Councils, individual councilors, city, and county administrators. Championing the cause of a "better community for all", he convened meetings, sought the needs of citizens, and with fortitude, delivered the message through the appropriate channels ensuring his constituents' input into the planning and development of the community.
Known for his diligence and perseverance, he served many councils through special appointments. In recognition of this service the City of Raleigh hosted an Appreciation Reception in 1997 at the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium. He was feted by elected officials, national, state, county, and city, receiving a special resolution from the North Carolina Council of State. Within a few blocks of his lifetime residence in the Historic South Park Community, a street, Top Greene Lane, was named in his honor. And on the corner just south of his home, the community center, the John P. "Top" Greene Center, was also named in his honor in November 2000. He was a recipient of the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, by Govenor James B. Hunt; the North Carolina Human Resources and Human Relations Award, by Govenor James Martin; The News and Observer's Tar Heel of the Week Award; the Sir Walter Raleigh Award; the Charles T. Norwood American Legion Post #157 Fifty- Two Year Membership Award; and numerous others from the churches, civic, fraternal, and community organizations throughout Wake County.
He retained membership in Widow Son Lodge #4, Boyer Consistory #219, Kabala Temple #177, and Charles T. Norwood American Legion Post #157, Veterans of Foreign Wars Thomas Walker Memorial Post #1099, and State and National Funeral Directors Association.
The City of Raleigh has accomplished much due to John's persistence and commitment to preserve and promote the quality of life for all citizens. He will surely be missed.
To cherish the memory of a generous and caring friend to all who expressed a need, he leaves an extended family, Frances Lonnette Williams, Annie Lee Williams, Otis Harris, Sr., Eleanor H. Brown, Mary E. Sharpe, Vera H. Belk, Dianne Chunn (Ron); several cousins, David Lorenzo Haywood (Norma), Ray Haywood, Sr., Montrose Anderson (Kenneth), Parthenia Neal, Ray and Linda Haywood and Karl Anderson; special friends and spiritual supporters, Rev. David Foy, Sara Davis, and Eunice Reynolds. A special thanks to Virginia Ward who remembered him faithfully, made and sent him a card every week and holiday for more than four years of his confinement and illness. The family deeply appreciates the prayers, cards, phone calls, and well wishes during his extended illness.
Memorial contributions may be made to Shaw University to honor his memory and perpetuate his philosophy of service to community.
Funeral service will be held on Tuesday, May 18th, at 11:00 a.m. at the C.A. Haywood, Sr. Memorial Chapel, 2415 South Wilmington Street, NC. Interment follows at Carolina Biblical Gardens.
Arrangements by Haywood Funeral Home 919/832-2835.