James Edward Greene Jr.

James E. Greene, Jr., 89, of Lawrenceville passed away on June 6, 2023. Jim was the son of the late James E. Greene, Sr. and Ruth Abernathy Greene. Born and raised in Athens, Georgia, Jim was a graduate of Athens High School and the University of Georgia. He received his Ph.D. in Business Administration from Georgia State University where he served on the faculty and as Registrar until his retirement in 1991. He subsequently served as the Executive Director of the Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board.

Jim is survived by his wife, Jerrie Greene. Jim gave fate a helping hand by omitting a decade of his age in his online dating profile, where they met. They shared nearly seventeen (17) years of love and laughter, travel adventures and time spent with family and friends.

Jim’s other survivors include three (3) daughters and their spouses: Jennifer and Charles Ammons, Margaret (Molly) and Joseph Jung, and Phoebe and Kai West; Jerrie’s two sons and their spouses: Dr. Rick and Kristin Loftis and Jeff and Melissa Loftis; and seven (7) grandchildren: Sarah Kate Ammons, Heidi and Johana Jung, Avery, Conner and Harper Loftis and Audrey Loftis. He also is survived by his brother, William A. Greene, his nephews, Robert Greene and Gregory D’Eloia, and his niece, Suzanne Greene Fall. He is predeceased by his siblings, George R. Greene and Sarah Greene D’Eloia Fortune.

Jim could build or repair almost anything. He also was a child of the years after the Great Depression, so he was known to keep miscellaneous screws, nails, copper tubing, mechanical parts and anything else that he might need later to fix something. His children report several instances of stopping on the side of the road, and dare we say dumpster diving, to recover some sort of treasure for future use.

Jim devoted himself to various interests and hobbies throughout his life. He enjoyed camping, riding motorcycles, amateur radio, competitive pistol competitions, and helping Jerrie with her scrapbooking events. He helped provide foster care for dozens of children, helped with the creation of an adoption agency, and served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate in DeKalb County.

Jim was an incorrigible flirt and a generous tipper. His prodigious gratuities will be missed by servers at restaurants everywhere. He also was notoriously stubborn, including declining to consume as much water as recommended by his nephrologist, which earned him various nicknames synonymous with donkey from those who knew and loved him. In that vein, the family asks that anyone inclined to make a donation in lieu of sending flowers please consider a gift in his memory to the American Kidney Fund.

Jim will be remembered at a memorial service on Friday, June 9, 2023 at 3:00 pm at Christ the Lord Lutheran Church, 1001 Duluth Highway, Lawrenceville, GA.