Walter Greene

On Sunday, April 10th, 2022, our dear brother, Brother Walter ‘Rock’ Greene, departed this earthly life and passed on to the Golden Shores. Brother Greene was said to have passed due to a broken heart, losing his wife three months prior in January. Rock, as he was affectionally known, was born in Washington, DC on July 19th, 1932, to the late William and Lillian Greene.

Athletically gifted, Rock lettered in Football, Basketball and Baseball at Phelps Vocational High School, capturing All-City and All-Interhigh honors in each of his high school years. 1953 was a big year in Rock’s life, in that he attended Delaware State University and he married Geneva Turner, also of Washington, DC. From this union came two children, Genise Evangeline and Walter Eldred Greene, Jr.

At Delaware State, Brother Greene continued to display the talent, passion, and leadership that made him a standout athlete in the District of Columbia. Rock Greene culminated his college years as a rare four-year letterman in Track and Field, Basketball, Baseball (team captain) and Football (team co-captain), achieving All-CIAA honors in Football and Baseball. After graduation, he headed down to Charlottesville, Virginia to begin his coaching career in 1957 as an assistant football and basketball coach. In 1960, Coach Greene became head coach to the Burley Bears Basketball team. That year, the team became Western District Runner-ups, followed by the Western District Championship in 1961. Coach Greene took coaching very seriously and he made strong players out of every child that he coached. In 2010, Burley High School Alumni paid honor to Coach Greene by naming the Gymnasium after him and Coach Albert “AP” Moore.

In 1963, Brother Greene returned to his hometown and his high school alma mater to coach the teams he once led as an outstanding athlete. It was also, at Phelps where he would meet his soulmate, the late Estelle Lockert, of Nashville, Tennessee. This marriage would endure nearly 52 years until her death in January of this year. In 1979, from this union, Rock and Estelle welcomed their only daughter, Lisa Estelle Greene, a precious gift from God. Lisa, who after bringing them immeasurable joy, gifted them with their granddaughter, Jaylin Kiarra Greene in 2000.

Brother Greene had many awards and accolades bestowed upon him throughout his career. He was the GEICO Driver’s Education Teacher of the Year. He was inducted into Delaware State University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1986. He was named Delaware State University’s Top Athlete in its first 100 years of existence. He was also inducted into the Phelps High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007. He was honored several times at the DCPS Interhigh Turkey Bowl hosted at Howard University’s Green Stadium for many years. One of his most recent awards was being inducted into the Black College Football Hall of Fame in 2020.

Brother Greene was a proud member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. He was initiated at Washington Alumni (DC) Chapter on November 5th, 1970. Brother Greene, up until the time of his passing, continued to submit his dues to the Hyattsville/Landover (MD) Alumni Chapter where he has been a long-standing member. He was so proud of what Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. stood for. He was so in love with his fraternity that he had custom license plates for his car. Whenever you would see him, he would have on paraphernalia from head to toe – Kappa hat, Kappa jacket, Kappa sweat suit and in recent days you would find him in a Kappa mask. One of Brother Greene’s finest and proudest moments was becoming a Lifetime Member in our illustrious fraternity and receiving his 50 Year blazer..

Along with his God-given athletic gifts, he was blessed with the teachings of God’s love for him early in life. He was baptized and accepted Christ as his personal Savior. A gentle gentleman and a brother’s brother, he was well-loved and respected in all of his circles. He spent his life molding students, always engaging them with a compassionate and nurturing ear. He listened, advised, and encouraged them daily and I am proud to attest to that, as one of his former Driver’s Education students some 30+ years ago.

He is survived by his son, Walter Jr; daughter, Lisa; daughter-in-law, Wanda Greene; brothers, Gilbert Lowery, Jr and Quentin Lowery; sister, Yvonne Ulmer; sisters-in-law, Maxine (Willie) Wright, Juanita D. Lockert; grandchildren, Dawn Rajah, Lauren Greene, Nicole Briones and Jaylin Greene and a host of great grandchildren, nieces, nephews and friends.