Official Obituary of
Walter "Herbert" Greene
January 17, 1944 ~ July 13, 2015 (age 71) 71 Years Old
Walter Greene Obituary
Walter "Herbert" Greene 71, of Fortson, Ga. died Monday, July 13, 2015 at St. Francis Hospital.
Funeral Services will be held 11:00 a.m. Friday, July 17, 2015 at The Lumpkin Center at Columbus State University Main Campus with Rev. Howard White and Rev. Lynn Meadows-White officiating. A private family interment will be held in Parkhill Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Thursday at McMullen Funeral Home 3874 Gentian Blvd. Columbus.
Mr. Greene was born January 17, 1944 in Eufaula, Al. son of the late James Foy and Margaret Sue Partin Greene. Herbert played basketball at Eufaula High School, where he was named Mr. Basketball for the state of Alabama in 1962. He played college basketball at Auburn University, where he would return years later to be an assistant basketball coach on Sonny Smith's staff. During that time he recruited and signed Charles Barkley to play for the Tigers.
Herbert was a basketball head coach in college and high school for 33 years, winning an astounding 656 games. He was the head coach at Columbus State University for 25 years, where he became the winningest coach in school history. His Cougars won the Peach Belt Conference Tournament championship in 6 of the 15 times he coached in the tournament. That's a record that still stands today. He led his team to numerous NCAA Tournament appearances and in 1996 the Atlanta Tip-Off Club and the Atlanta Journal Constitution named him the College Coach of the Year in the state of Georgia. Last season, the Cougar's home court in the Frank G. Lumpkin Jr. Center was renamed The Herbert Greene Court. It's a lasting testament to what he means to the Columbus State University family.
In his 23 years as the Director of Athletics at CSU, Cougar teams won 54 Conference championships and 8 National Championships. He is a member of four sports Halls of Fame, including the CSU Athletic Hall of Fame.
His playing and coaching records and accomplishments only tell part of the story. A big part of his legacy should be that he wanted the players to succeed in athletics but it was more important to him that they became successful in life. His care, his concern and the life lessons he taught changed the lives of countless people, and indeed even saved the lives of some of those people. His players remained his devoted friends long after their playing days ended.
Other than his parents, Herbert was preceded in death by his sister Patricia Price and granddaughter Meghan Greene.
Survivors include his wife Jan Myers Greene of Fortson, Ga., son, Todd Greene of Eufaula, AL., daughters, Melissa Greene Mathis (Greg) of Columbus, GA., Traci Greene Mierzeski (Brian) of Odenton, MD., Olivia Greene and Maria Greene both of Columbus, GA., sisters, Becky Woodbury of Eufaula, AL., Kay Watson of Houston, TX., brother, Jimmy Partin of Eufaula, AL., six grandchildren, Brooks Mathis, Tyler Mathis, Camden Mathis, Alyssa Tadlock, McKenzie Greene and Brianna Mierzesk.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donation be made to the Herbert Greene Memorial Athletic Scholarship in care of Columbus State University, 4225 University Ave. Columbus Ga. 31907.
Funeral Services will be held 11:00 a.m. Friday, July 17, 2015 at The Lumpkin Center at Columbus State University Main Campus with Rev. Howard White and Rev. Lynn Meadows-White officiating. A private family interment will be held in Parkhill Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Thursday at McMullen Funeral Home 3874 Gentian Blvd. Columbus.
Mr. Greene was born January 17, 1944 in Eufaula, Al. son of the late James Foy and Margaret Sue Partin Greene. Herbert played basketball at Eufaula High School, where he was named Mr. Basketball for the state of Alabama in 1962. He played college basketball at Auburn University, where he would return years later to be an assistant basketball coach on Sonny Smith's staff. During that time he recruited and signed Charles Barkley to play for the Tigers.
Herbert was a basketball head coach in college and high school for 33 years, winning an astounding 656 games. He was the head coach at Columbus State University for 25 years, where he became the winningest coach in school history. His Cougars won the Peach Belt Conference Tournament championship in 6 of the 15 times he coached in the tournament. That's a record that still stands today. He led his team to numerous NCAA Tournament appearances and in 1996 the Atlanta Tip-Off Club and the Atlanta Journal Constitution named him the College Coach of the Year in the state of Georgia. Last season, the Cougar's home court in the Frank G. Lumpkin Jr. Center was renamed The Herbert Greene Court. It's a lasting testament to what he means to the Columbus State University family.
In his 23 years as the Director of Athletics at CSU, Cougar teams won 54 Conference championships and 8 National Championships. He is a member of four sports Halls of Fame, including the CSU Athletic Hall of Fame.
His playing and coaching records and accomplishments only tell part of the story. A big part of his legacy should be that he wanted the players to succeed in athletics but it was more important to him that they became successful in life. His care, his concern and the life lessons he taught changed the lives of countless people, and indeed even saved the lives of some of those people. His players remained his devoted friends long after their playing days ended.
Other than his parents, Herbert was preceded in death by his sister Patricia Price and granddaughter Meghan Greene.
Survivors include his wife Jan Myers Greene of Fortson, Ga., son, Todd Greene of Eufaula, AL., daughters, Melissa Greene Mathis (Greg) of Columbus, GA., Traci Greene Mierzeski (Brian) of Odenton, MD., Olivia Greene and Maria Greene both of Columbus, GA., sisters, Becky Woodbury of Eufaula, AL., Kay Watson of Houston, TX., brother, Jimmy Partin of Eufaula, AL., six grandchildren, Brooks Mathis, Tyler Mathis, Camden Mathis, Alyssa Tadlock, McKenzie Greene and Brianna Mierzesk.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donation be made to the Herbert Greene Memorial Athletic Scholarship in care of Columbus State University, 4225 University Ave. Columbus Ga. 31907.
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