Billy Don (Bill) Green was born February 2, 1929 in Cleburne, Texas to Olga and W.H. Green. Shortly after his birth he moved to Fort Worth, Texas. He left for his heavenly home on December 30, 2016.Bill attended schools in Fort Worth where he played football at Paschal High School, serving as Captain of the football team and President of his Senior class. He then attended North Texas State University in Denton, Texas.He married Edna (Fuffy) Green in 1949. They first met as children in the church nursery. They spent most of their married life in Midland where they raised their family and made many friends. Many of those friends came out of their church, their association with the Midland JayCees when they were young and the Midland Community Theatre.He loved handball, scuba diving, fly fishing, golf, hunting, snow skiing, camping and watching football. He loved to exercise and worked out as much as he could. He started doing push-ups when he was ten and did as many as 80 push-ups every morning until a few months ago.At one time he was the only Certified Scuba Instructor in Midland and taught classes as a volunteer at the YMCA. It became such a popular class he had to certify more instructors. One of the joys of his life was getting to take eight senior boys to Hawaii. They had earned the trip through volunteering at the YMCA and he accompanied them there for a two week Scuba trip.He loved to read and was an avid Bible reader, reading through the Bible over and over. He was a member of First Baptist Church. He was a wonderful Christian who loved the Lord and served the Lord in many capacities during his life working with teens and young married couples and later with Senior adults. He also worked in the Kairos Prison Ministry program which was very dear to his heart. In recent years he helped lead the exercise program for Seniors three days a week at the church Activity Building.He worked for El Capitan Oil Company, John Grimland, CPA and worked for Magnatex, Inc. for 28 years serving as Chief Financial Officer. He moved to Houston in 1989 and worked for the Metropolitan Transit Authority. They retired in 2002 and returned to Midland.Everyone who knew Bill will remember him for his kindness and gentle spirit. He was a man of integrity, pleasant and even-tempered. He was a warm and loving person with a great sense of humor.To his family he was Dad, Grandpop and Pepop. To many children around town for many years he was known as Santa Claus, a role he loved to play and for many years the Midland Reporter-Telegram featured him every year in various ways.He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister, Charlotte Gossett and sons Don Green and James Ronald Green.He was a wonderful husband, father and grandfather and leaves behind his wife, Edna (Fuffy), daughter Jan Green of Midland, daughter Gail Riggan and husband, Tim of Midland. Grandson Casey Riggan and wife Amanda and great-grandchildren Delaney and Phoebe Riggan and Grayson and Tyler Poole of Midland, granddaughter Fuffy Nicole Martinez and husband Tony and great-grandsons Brycen and Ellis of Midland, grandson Michael Green and wife Wanda and great-granddaughter Rebekah Grace of Arlington, Texas. He also leaves nieces and nephews and special friends.Honorary pallbearers will be members of the James Department of the First Baptist Church.Donations in his memory may be made to the First Baptist Church, the Alzheimer’s Assn. or a charity of your choice.Memorial Services are scheduled for Thursday, January 5, 2017 at 10:00 am in the First Baptist Church Chapel with Dr. Douglas Beggs and Reverend David Johnson Officiating.On a personal note: Thanks to Gene Spires for faithfully picking him up on Mondays and taking him to the Brotherhood luncheons. Thanks to his buddy Jake Whitaker for “inviting him over” so I could have some free time. Thanks to Charlotte Whitaker for texting and calling morning, noon and night to check on us. Thanks to Doris and Don McSparran and the Whitakers for patiently playing Mexican Train with us even when he could no longer play. Thanks to cousin and good friend, Mary Lou Cassidy for all the help she has provided to guide us through this nightmare they call Alzheimer’s. Thank you to Nell Murphy for sitting with Bill. He loved for her to stay with him. And thank you to all of the people who prayed us through this.Arrangements are under the direction of Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home & Crematory of Midland. Online condolences can be made at www.npwelch.com.,
