Deceased October 3, 2011
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In Memory
James Whitney Greene died peacefully in Rockport, Maine, on Oct. 3, 2011, after a long illness. Charlie Millar ’67, Jim and I were roommates for three years. Jim and I worked together in Colorado in the ’70s, and I was the best man in Jim and Leslie’s wedding in 1977. After Amherst, Jim graduated from the University of Denver College of Law and served as general counsel for the Gary Williams Companies in Denver for more than 20 years. He retired in 1999 and moved to Camden, N.J., to be closer to his family.
Jim attended Rumson-Fairhaven (N.J.) Regional High School and was a class leader, an outstanding student and athlete. Rooming with Jim was an experience—the fear of English 1 compositions and physics with Professor Arons, mixers at Smith and Mount Holyoke and, of course, the raucous times in the dorm. Jim’s mischievous sense of humor, natural charm and wit and loyal friendship were qualities that bound him to his many friends. While at Amherst, Jim’s first academic love was philosophy, and he devoured Sartre, Gide, Camus and Wittgenstein and “lived” their writings. Jim also founded the Free University in Northampton. While in Denver, Jim worked in Democratic politics and helped many well-known Colorado politicians get elected.
In November 2011, many of us gathered in Colorado to celebrate Jim’s life. Included were Jim’s sister Peggy, his niece Kimberly Hamill, his former wife Leslie Speed, Jim’s friends from the Colorado political community, colleagues at Gary Williams and many Amherst friends. Although sad, there were many special moments: His sister Mary provided poems which Jim inspired and captured his spirit perfectly, and there were pictures of Jim throughout his life. Most remarkable in these pictures was Jim’s incredible and infectious smile with humor spilling from his lips—touching for all of us.
Jim is survived by many friends, his father, three sisters and Leslie Speed. We will all miss him.
Michael Driver ’67