What an extraordinary life my dad had, what a wondrous giant of a man.
He was so personable - one dear cousin remarked on his ability to make you feel that you were the only person in the universe. And yet for all his kind and easy manners, he had a mythic quality. Random athletic feats from his youth remain unequalled, and until very recently he was still casually hefting great boulders, shaping the earth to his design. Mastery of the elements in fact defined him, thrilling to icy Pacific waters, or trudging though raging North Country blizzards in utter blackness, me warm and safe on a sled.
It was the finest thing to watch him paint. First those earlier, strongly gestural paintings of a large scale that suited his own great frame in motion. Each stroke was inevitable, as precise as it was rapid and casual. They were punctuated with exclamations, such as one might hear from an athlete at the very height of exertion.
We enjoyed great travels together. Whether by pick-up truck from New York to the Oregon coast summers in the 1970s, or riding ferries around the Aegean in a still untouched Greece, we tasted adventure. It was fitting; he was a pioneer, forging a grand life in the urban wildness that became TriBeCa. And back in his homeland, with Jeri, he was still a pioneer, fashioning a bold architectural expression of his very character.
Dad had a grand death. He came home on Easter evening after a long hospitalization to family. They drank whiskey, and reminisced with laughter. On the second morning, a great bald eagle landed on a tree on the deck, waiting for him.
People remark on the bravery with which he greeted death. In fact, it was much more like zeal, an embrace of the mystery and adventure.
A beloved mentor, Dr. Gordon Gilkey, wrote dad a decisive recommendation of six words: "Full speed ahead on George Green." We have tears overflowing today. But please join us in celebrating a life so lovingly and superbly lived. My oldest friend said: "I will open a very fine bottle and raise my glass as high as I can." Please raise your glasses with us in joy.
Full speed ahead, dad oh dad, oh dearest dad - full speed ahead. #love #joy #georgedgreentribute
