John Thompson Green

A memorial service celebrating the life of John Thompson "Tommy" Green, III, who passed away on July 31, 2009 at 6:00 am at Lafayette General Medical Center, will be held at Asbury United Methodist Church on Sunday, August 9, 2009 at 3:00 pm. The Reverend Ed Boyd, Senior Pastor of Asbury United Methodist Church, the Reverend Ira Robinson, Associate Pastor of Asbury United Methodist Church and the Reverend Doctor Henry Blount of Alexandria will conduct the memorial service. A private burial service will be held at the Sumter Cemetery in Sumter, SC. Mr. Green, a resident of Lafayette, LA, was the son of the late John Thompson Green, Jr. and the former Julia Hortense Mullen. Mr. Green was born in Jackson, MS and raised in Sumter, SC. He graduated from Clemson University in 1954 with a Bachelors Degree in Horticulture. At Clemson, he was the editor of "The Tiger", the school newspaper, was on the Regimental Staff, and member of two honor fraternities: Tiger Brotherhood and Blue Key. After graduation, he was commissioned as a 1st Lieutenant in the US Army, where he served in Germany as a Platoon Leader and helped train members of the German Border Guards who were incorporated into the first post WWII German Army. Mr. Green was a Furniture Manufacturers Representative for over 50 years. Having represented Williams Furniture Corp. of Sumter, SC for 28 years, and at the time of his death represented Carolina Furniture Works, Sumter, SC and DR. Kincaid Chair Company of Lenore, NC. He moved his family to Opelousas in 1958 where they lived for 12 years, where he was active in the Affairs of Louisiana Memorial Methodist Church. The family then moved to Lafayette in 1970. He has been an active member of Asbury United Methodist Church, serving on many of its' committees, including chairman of Official Board for 2 years, 6 years on Conference Board Lay Activities and 3 years as Lafayette Lay Leader for the United Methodist Church. He and his wife were members of the Gold Band Class, and worked tirelessly with the youth group. Mr. Green was active in a number of professional and community organizations. Professionally he was a member of the International and Louisiana Home Furnishing Representatives Associations and served on the Louisiana Association Board. In the community, Mr. Green was a member of and served on the Boards of Directors for the Community Concert Association, the Acadian Opera Society, Lafayette Art Association, the Lafayette Natural History Museum Association, where he served as President for 2 terms, and the Lafayette Photographic Society. He was also a major supporter of the Lafayette Native Crafts Festival in the 1970s-80s. He was also a member of the Attakapas Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution and the Mayflower Society, and a former member of the Krewe of Triton. He also served as the District Director of his beloved Clemson University Alumni Association for south Louisiana. Mr. Green had many hobbies and interests, particularly in the arts. He loved Classical music, both instrumental and voice. As an avid and gifted photographer for nearly 60 years, his photographs have been exhibited in a number of competitions across the state, bringing numerous awards, and are in a number of private collections. He had the ultimate green thumb, preserving many plants and cuttings from his childhood home in Sumter, as well as picking up cuttings from the side of the road during his travels. Mr. Green loved driving the backroads throughout the South and knew more about places of interest of his adopted State than many of its natives. He was a great storyteller and loved to enlighten friends and family. He was truly a Renaissance Man. He is survived by three daughters, Melissa Mood Green of Dallas, TX, Amelia Green Hoffman and her husband, Thomas Fredrick Hoffman, Jr. of Lafayette, LA and Sarah Green LaBorde and her husband, Stephen Wayne LaBorde of Austin, TX; one son, John Scott Green and his partner, Russell Eugene Mellette of Port Orange, FL; two grandchildren, Spencer Thomas Hoffman and Hannah Kay Hoffman both of Lafayette, LA; two sisters, Zadah Green DeLorme of Summerville, SC, Shirley Green Routh and her husband Foster Miller Routh of Columbia, SC and a number of nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife of 54 years, Betty Dollard Green, and his parents. Visitation will be held at the Asbury United Methodist Church on Saturday , August 8, 2009 from 5:00 pm until 8:00 pm. The memorial service will be held on Sunday, August 9, 2009 at 3:00 pm, followed by a reception at the church until 5:00 pm. Memorial contributions can be made in the name of Mr. Green to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105; Asbury United Methodist Church, 101 Live Oak Blvd, Lafayette, LA 70503; Acadiana Arts Council, 101 W. Vermilion St., Lafayette, LA 70501; or Chorale Acadienne, PO Box 53868, Lafayette, LA 70505. Personal condolences may be sent to the Green family at www.delhommefuneralhome.com. Delhomme Funeral Home, 1011 Bertrand Drive, Lafayette, is in charge of funeral arrangements.

John Thompson Green

December 3, 1932 - July 31, 2009