David Greer

GREER, DAVID, MD 89, died Tuesday November 18, 2014. He was husband of the late Marion (Clarich) Greer; they were married for 64 years. Born in Brooklyn, NY, the son of the late Jacob and Mary Greenberg, he had been a resident of Fall River since 1957. Dr. Greer received his education in the New York City school system, Brooklyn College, the University of Notre Dame, the University of Chicago, and Yale University. His education was interrupted during World War II when he served two years in the armed forces as an aviation cadet. Dr. Greer came to Fall River in 1957 to practice medicine at the Truesdale Clinic. He was actively involved in a very large number of community and state wide activities ranging from voluntary service with several Fall River agencies (the District Nursing Association, the Family Service Association, and the Fall River Housing Authority) to membership on several gubernatorial commissions and the Board of Trustees for both Bristol Community College and U. Mass Dartmouth whose Board he chaired in 1973 and 1974. In the early 1970's, while he was President of the Medical Staff of the Truesdale Hospital and Medical Director of the Earle E. Hussey Hospital, Dr. Greer founded Highland Heights Apartments, renamed Cardinal Medeiros Towers, which was the first hospital-connected public housing facility in the nation for the physically impaired. In 1974, Dr. Greer joined the administration and faculty of the new medical school at Brown University as an Associate Dean. There, he founded and chaired the Department of Family Medicine, the Department of Community Health, and the Gerontology Center. He was appointed Dean of Medicine at Brown in 1981 and served in that position until 1992. Upon retiring from Brown, he served as the Medical Director of the SSTAR Family Healthcare Center in Fall River until 1998. Dr. Greer was a member of numerous prestigious organizations including Mastership in the American College of Physicians and the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, and was designated as a Kellogg Foundation Fellow in International Health. His many honors and awards included an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Southeastern Massachusetts University; the Cutting Foundation Award for service to religion in society from the Andover Newton Theological Seminary; the Bristol Community College Distinguished Service Award; the University of Chicago Medical Alumni Association Distinguished Service Award, and the Outstanding Citizen Award from the Jewish Veteran's Auxiliary. Dr. Greer was a founding director of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1985. He is survived by his daughter; Linda Greer and her husband Mike Tilchin of Bethesda, MD, his grandchildren Ross and Carla Tilchin, his daughter in law Nancy Smith Greer, his sister-in-law Joyce Greer Stern, and his brother-in-law and sister-in-law Daniel and Eleanor Clarich. He was the father of the late Jeffrey Greer, and brother of the late M. Philip Greer. His wife Marion died only seven weeks ago. Funeral Services will be held Friday, November 21st at 10:00 AM at Temple Beth El, 385 High St., Fall River. In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to Family Service Association of Fall River, 101 Rock Street, Fall River, MA 02720. Shiva will be observed at his late residence on Sat 7-9 and Sun 2-4 and 7-9 PM. For information and condolences, www.SugarmanSinai.com.