GREEN, RICHARD

Friends of Richard and Mary Ann Green are deeply saddened to announce Richard’s death on June 13, 2013, at Haven Hospice in Gainesville, Florida.

Richard was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma on October 5th. He and Mary Ann met while both were working in summer stock productions, and they married 55 years ago. Following his graduation from the University of Arkansas, Richard entered the Army and Mary Ann accompanied him during his tour in Germany. After his overseas stint, Richard earned a Masters in Fine Arts at the University of Texas and then a PhD at the University of Illinois. They moved to Gainesville when Richard joined the University of Florida faculty in the theater department, teaching there for thirteen years. A true Renaissance man, a “bon vivant,” Richard was a gourmet, an oenophile, an art connoisseur and collector, and a bibliophile who particularly loved indulging all of these traits in London, Paris, and Asia. Here in Gainesville, he showcased his architectural talents and taste in the creation of the Greens’ beautiful home and garden. For many years he delighted patrons of Rotary’s Wild Game Feast at the wine bar he elegantly organized and ran, and he shared his imaginative mind with all those fortunate enough to be invited to the Greens’ inimitable soirees. Always the doting husband, Richard was also kind, loyal, and generous to his many friends. His élan, his “joie de vivre,” even his witty cynicism, will be sorely missed. In addition to Mary Ann, he is survived by his sister and her husband, Ann and Jack McQueen, of San Marino, California. Adhering to Richard’s request,

There will be no memorial service. In the fall, however, there will be a gathering to celebrate this unique man. Meanwhile, those who wish to honor his memory may donate to Haven Hospice, Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, the Harn Museum, or the Florida Museum of Natural History.