Lawrence A. Greene, Jr. of Zionsville PA age 87, passed away February 22, 2021 at Heather Glen Senior Living facility in Allentown PA.
He was the son of Lawrence A. Greene, Sr. and Mary Spencer Greene. He was born in Lynchburg Virginia April 3, 1933. His family moved to Jersey City, NJ in 1941 when his father became Industrial Secretary of the YMCA, where he spent most of his early life. He graduated from The Peddie School (Hightstown NJ) in 1951, and the Syracuse University School of Architecture (Syracuse NY) in 1957. He married his wife of 65 years, Barbara Empie in 1955. He served as an Officer in the US Army Signal Corps at Fort Lee Virginia for 2 years after graduation. He moved to Zionsville PA in 1960 where he worked as a registered architect at several firms in both Bethlehem and Reading but spent the majority of his professional life as President and managing partner at Muhlenberg Greene Architects, Ltd. of Reading PA. He retired in 2013 at age 80 when the toll of an earlier automobile accident led to increasing dementia.
Larry was active in many church and civic activities, in both Allentown and Reading PA. He was a Trustee Emeritus on the Board of Directors of Muhlenberg College where he served for 14 years, spending most of his time as the Chair of the Building and Grounds Committee. He also served for many years as a member of the Boards of both the Berks Area Regional Transportation Authority (BARTA), and the Visiting Nurses Association of Berks County. He was a former president of the Rotary Club of Reading (1970-71) and the Eastern Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (1972).
Larry loved his work and devoted many hours to the profession he loved. His architectural firm was involved in the resurgence of downtown Reading PA in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The firm’s notable new and renovation projects included Penn Square Center and Sovereign Bank, Episcopal House, Horizon Center, the Madison, Meridian Bank Headquarters, Abraham Lincoln Hotel, and renovations of City Hall (completed in 1995).
Larry was also very involved at his Church, St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran, Allentown PA where he served on the church Vestry numerous terms, was a long-time member of the Finance and Worship & Music Committees, was a past President of the congregation, and served Sundays as an Usher. He will be remembered by his family most for his unconditional loving nature, unfaltering positivity, sense of humor, and an ability to bring people together. When not working, Larry spent time on his “farm” in Zionsville, gardening, raising livestock with neighbors, and building things like a farm trailer, large raft for the pond, (named “George” of course!) and a tree house that enhanced “life in the country” for his kids. He built hockey goals and mounted outdoor lights on tall trees next to the pond so the family and church youth could play hockey in the winter.
He enjoyed travel for both business and pleasure in and out of the country – from Alaska to New Zealand. He and his wife Barbara enjoyed taking their children on camping trips to national parks while growing up and in later life hosting the family while vacationing in the Outer Banks, NC. Many relatives and colleagues have fond memories of him hosting numerous family reunions or office picnics on the “farm”, oft times serving up large chicken barbequed dinners.
He is survived by his wife Barbara Empie Greene; two sisters, Mary Kip Douglas, and Phyllis Parker; three children Lawrence D. Greene, Jeffrey P. Greene, (both of Zionsville PA) and Karin Greene White of Teaneck NJ; and two grand-daughters, Kayla White and Lyndsey White also of Teaneck.
A private interment will be held at Zion's Evangelical Lutheran Church Cemetery, Old Zionsville for members of the immediate family only. Memorial gifts may be sent to Lutheran World Relief (https://donate.lwr.org) or St. John’s Lutheran Church Memorial fund (Allentown PA) (http://www.stjohnsallentown.org/). A memorial service will be held later in the year. Final arrangements are by Mann-Slonaker Funeral Home, East Greenville PA (mannslokakerfuneralhome.com).
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Lawrence Greene, please visit our flower store.
He was the son of Lawrence A. Greene, Sr. and Mary Spencer Greene. He was born in Lynchburg Virginia April 3, 1933. His family moved to Jersey City, NJ in 1941 when his father became Industrial Secretary of the YMCA, where he spent most of his early life. He graduated from The Peddie School (Hightstown NJ) in 1951, and the Syracuse University School of Architecture (Syracuse NY) in 1957. He married his wife of 65 years, Barbara Empie in 1955. He served as an Officer in the US Army Signal Corps at Fort Lee Virginia for 2 years after graduation. He moved to Zionsville PA in 1960 where he worked as a registered architect at several firms in both Bethlehem and Reading but spent the majority of his professional life as President and managing partner at Muhlenberg Greene Architects, Ltd. of Reading PA. He retired in 2013 at age 80 when the toll of an earlier automobile accident led to increasing dementia.
Larry was active in many church and civic activities, in both Allentown and Reading PA. He was a Trustee Emeritus on the Board of Directors of Muhlenberg College where he served for 14 years, spending most of his time as the Chair of the Building and Grounds Committee. He also served for many years as a member of the Boards of both the Berks Area Regional Transportation Authority (BARTA), and the Visiting Nurses Association of Berks County. He was a former president of the Rotary Club of Reading (1970-71) and the Eastern Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (1972).
Larry loved his work and devoted many hours to the profession he loved. His architectural firm was involved in the resurgence of downtown Reading PA in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The firm’s notable new and renovation projects included Penn Square Center and Sovereign Bank, Episcopal House, Horizon Center, the Madison, Meridian Bank Headquarters, Abraham Lincoln Hotel, and renovations of City Hall (completed in 1995).
Larry was also very involved at his Church, St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran, Allentown PA where he served on the church Vestry numerous terms, was a long-time member of the Finance and Worship & Music Committees, was a past President of the congregation, and served Sundays as an Usher. He will be remembered by his family most for his unconditional loving nature, unfaltering positivity, sense of humor, and an ability to bring people together. When not working, Larry spent time on his “farm” in Zionsville, gardening, raising livestock with neighbors, and building things like a farm trailer, large raft for the pond, (named “George” of course!) and a tree house that enhanced “life in the country” for his kids. He built hockey goals and mounted outdoor lights on tall trees next to the pond so the family and church youth could play hockey in the winter.
He enjoyed travel for both business and pleasure in and out of the country – from Alaska to New Zealand. He and his wife Barbara enjoyed taking their children on camping trips to national parks while growing up and in later life hosting the family while vacationing in the Outer Banks, NC. Many relatives and colleagues have fond memories of him hosting numerous family reunions or office picnics on the “farm”, oft times serving up large chicken barbequed dinners.
He is survived by his wife Barbara Empie Greene; two sisters, Mary Kip Douglas, and Phyllis Parker; three children Lawrence D. Greene, Jeffrey P. Greene, (both of Zionsville PA) and Karin Greene White of Teaneck NJ; and two grand-daughters, Kayla White and Lyndsey White also of Teaneck.
A private interment will be held at Zion's Evangelical Lutheran Church Cemetery, Old Zionsville for members of the immediate family only. Memorial gifts may be sent to Lutheran World Relief (https://donate.lwr.org) or St. John’s Lutheran Church Memorial fund (Allentown PA) (http://www.stjohnsallentown.org/). A memorial service will be held later in the year. Final arrangements are by Mann-Slonaker Funeral Home, East Greenville PA (mannslokakerfuneralhome.com).
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