Martin "Marty" Greene

Marty Greene has left the building, and what a show he put on for 89 years.

Born in the Bronx back when neighborhoods had character and kids roamed free, Marty grew up on city streets surrounded by colorful personalities who would become great stories later. During his early years, he honed his prankster skills while forging friendships that would last more than 75 years—it takes a special kind of person to inspire that kind of loyalty.

Times were different then: he liked to tell how when he was nine, his mother would pack him a sandwich and give him a dime to take the subway to the Hayden Planetarium on Saturdays for a special class for advanced students.

Smart enough to skip grades and charming enough to talk his way out of trouble, Marty escaped his mother's watchful eye at 16 to attend Cortland Teacher's College. There he perfected his winning combination of athletics, humor, and that heart-of-gold thing that made people want to stick around for the long haul.

He married Yolanda, a lovely Italian girl who was clearly up for an adventure, and together they managed to raise four kids who turned out surprisingly well despite being described as "preposterous." While juggling full-time teaching and running a summer day camp, Marty made time to coach his children in soccer. His youngest, Michael, played on a travel team under Marty's guidance that produced two professional players – not too shabby for a guy from the Bronx.

Never one to sit still, Marty joined a local adult co-ed soccer league, played competitive over-35 soccer, and even got on the volleyball court with his daughter Nanci. When he wasn't playing sports, he could be found, or rather, couldn't be found, hiding himself in his office to read and enjoy some peace and quiet.

After he retired, Marty and Yolanda moved upstate where they soaked up culture, nature, and the joy of having grandchildren visit. Under his watchful eye, grandchildren Nathan, Cassidy, and Elijah completed the family rites of passage: paddling the famous green canoe with Gramps in the little lake, and swimming across the mile-wide lake. When Yolanda passed in 2016, Marty's light dimmed a bit – until he met Carol, who brought back his smile and reminded him there was still plenty of living to do. Unfortunately, Marty struggled with back issues and after three surgeries, couldn't get around the way he wanted to. He spent some time on Long island, living with his son Martin, but longed to return to his home upstate. Despite his pain, he never let it dim his spirit or stop him from drawing a crowd with a well-timed joke or an off-color limerick that would make everyone groan and laugh at the same time - especially at the Lions Club meetings!

In 2021, Marty spent the winter in Pennsylvania with daughter Nanci's crew – Louis, Cassidy and her husband Will, Elijah, Gabe, and Alyssa. His final and perhaps sweetest friendship was with his great-granddaughter Alyssa – from singing, “If I Knew You Were Coming, I’d’ve Baked a Cake,” to eating ice cream sundaes together, those two were thick as thieves from the moment they met.

He liked being the king of the house so much that he moved in for good in 2022. Marty lived like he meant it – with curiosity, laughter, and an endless capacity for making friends wherever he went. He proved you can be a devoted teacher, coach, husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather while never losing that mischievous spark that made life interesting.

Marty is survived by his four children: Marty and his partner Arlene, Marc and his wife Angie, Nanci and her husband Louis, and Michael; his partner-in-crime's son, Jeff, who was as much a son to him as his own boys; seven grandchildren; one great-grandchild; ten nieces and nephews; and too many great and great-great nieces and nephews to count (remember, Yolanda was Italian...).

The world is a little less fun without him, but a whole lot richer for having had him in it.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Northville, NY Lions Club, the Guthrie Library in Hanover, PA, or the Michael J. Fox Foundation.

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