Charles Augustus Greene

Mr. Charles “Charlie” Augustus Greene, 78, resident of High Point, died September 12, 2017 at Pennybyrn at Maryfield.

Charlie was born November 1, 1938 in Orange, New Jersey, the son of Irish immigrants, the late Andrew and Margaret Logan Greene.  In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two brothers, Patrick and Jack Greene; and a brother-in-law, Walter Staub.

He was a veteran of the United States Air Force and a member of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church.

Charlie came to High Point in 1966 to work for a furniture manufacturer.  After a few years there, he founded his own upholstery company, Classic Gallery, with the assistance of longtime friends George and Lib Whitesides.

He was active in the furniture industry, serving on the Board of Directors for the American Society of Interior Designers, the American Furniture Manufacturers Association, the Upholstered Furniture Action Council, the Furniture Library, and the Furniture Discovery Center.  He also served as chairman of the North Carolina furniture export council.

He served in leadership roles and on the board of directors for many High Point and Triad charitable and educational organizations, including Communities in Schools, the United Way of Greater High Point, Guilford Technical Community College, Pennybyrn at Maryfield, the High Point Community Foundation, Tom Haggai and Associates, the High Point Chamber of Commerce, the North Carolina Shakespeare Festival and High Point Regional Hospital.

He was recognized by Mount Saint Mary’s College with an honorary degree in 1988, by the High Point Enterprise as the High Point Citizen of the Year in 1990,  by the State of North Carolina with the Order of the Long Leaf Pine in 2005 and by the trustees of Guilford Technical Community College with the naming of the Charles A. Greene Building in 2016.

Charlie was proud of his family, especially his Irish heritage.  He was fortunate to travel to Ireland many times with his wife, Chris, and other family members.  He was a proud American, but an Irishman by choice, almost a convert according to one family member.  Most importantly, he was proud to have solidified old family relationships in Ireland and America, being sure that family ties were extended into the youngest generation to ensure their survival.

Surviving is his wife, Christine “Chris” Joyner Greene of the residence; a daughter, Margaret Rose Ryan and husband Ed of Chatham, New Jersey; two sons, Chuck Greene and wife Pam of High Point and John Greene of Wilmington; four siblings, Marian Staub of Avon By The Sea, New Jersey, Peggy Codey of Wall Township, New Jersey, Andy Greene and wife Christi of Coppell, Texas and Kathy Scardilli and husband Art of Oak Ridge, New Jersey; nine grandchildren, Matt Ryan, Maggie Rahman and husband Zahir, Kara Ryan, Jack Ryan, Charlie Greene II, Connor Greene, Ryan Greene, Nicholas Greene and Logan Greene; six sisters-in-law, Rosemary Greene of Tinton Falls, New Jersey, Eileen Greene of Phoenix, Arizona, Gayle Joyner of Faison, Marie Russell of Southern Pines, Thelma McGowan and husband Gerald of Greenville, and Doris Taylor of Sanford; and numerous extended family members both in the United States, Ireland and the British Isles.

A mass of Christian burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church with Reverend Joseph C. Zuschmidt, O.S.F.S. officiating.  Visitation will be from 3:00-5:00 p.m. Sunday at the Cumby Family Funeral Service in High Point. 

The family would like to thank his doctors and caregivers, including Dr. Gerry Blobe at Duke University Hospital, Dr. Jin He at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Dr. George Sanders and Dr. Kalsoom Kahn at UNC Regional Physicians, and the many medical professionals and caregivers at Duke, Hopkins, the Hayworth Cancer Center and Pennybyrn at Maryfield that provided care and comfort.

Memorials may be directed to Guilford Technical Community College Foundation, PO Box 309, Jamestown, NC 27282, or to Pennybyrn at Maryfield, 109 Penny Road, High Point NC 27260.

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