JAMES WILLIAM GREEN II
Jim, or Greenie as many knew him, left this earth on June 17, 2019 to join his beloved father, mother, sister and son. Family was always Jim’s first love, and if you walked into his home, his church, or his presence, you were considered family. There wasn’t anyone, human or animal alike, who wasn’t welcomed with open arms, and usually Oreos or Butterfingers, by Jim.
Greenie worked at the Des Moines Register for 30 years, serving as the Director of RAGBRAI for 15 years. His work with RAGBRAI focused on making the ride safer for everyone. One surefire way to get Greenie upset was to be on a bike without a helmet. One of his proudest accomplishments was creating the Dream Team, which sponsored and trained teens who wouldn’t have had the opportunity to experience RAGBRAI otherwise. Outside of work, he gave his time to the churches to which he belonged (St. Joseph’s of Des Moines and St. Patrick’s of Grand River) and to Catholic Youth Camp (CYC) and Teens Encounter Christ (TEC). Greenie is likely the oldest alter boy and camp counselor the Catholic Church has encountered and also likely one of the most enthusiastic and passionate in both roles.
Jim’s life partner and queen, Judy, or “Ma” as many knew her, was the light of his life. They had known each other since sixth grade and had been married for almost 60 years. Together, they had four children and later 11 grandchildren and five great grandchildren.
As one of his favorite Irish Proverbs put it;
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
Visitation will be open Thursday, June 20, 2019 at Kale Funeral Home in Osceola with the family greeting friends from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. that evening. Prayer services will begin at 7:00 p.m.
Services will be held at St. Bernard Catholic Church in Osceola, Iowa, Friday June 21, 2019 at 10:30 a.m. with Fr. Dave Polich officiating.
Interment will be in the Glendale Cemetery at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a contribution to a charity of your choice in honor of Jim or to one of his favorite charities; Catholic Youth Camp
(https://stmcenter.com/other)or Dream Team (http://dreamteamdesmoines.org/donate/). Or consider paying it forward with the kindness that Jim showed to everyone he came across.
