By Doane Yawger
Funeral arrangements are pending for the Rev. Henry B. Greene III, senior pastor of Central Presbyterian Church of Merced, who died Monday while hiking in Yosemite National Park. He was 61.
Greene spent 36 years in the ministry, the last 13 at Central Presbyterian Church. He was senior pastor from 1982 to 2000 at Dinuba Presbyterian Church, and pastor from 1976-82 at Grandview Presbyterian Church in Glendale.
Greene, who loved extended nature hikes, died of a heart attack while on the Glacier Point trail.
Ken Robbins, a longtime elder at Central Presbyterian, said Greene was fond of the mountains and had never hiked in the Glacier Point area.
“It was such a shock,” Robbins said. “He will be sorely missed and his passing leaves a big hole here. He was certainly my best friend; Henry had a hundred best friends.”
Greene served several times as president of the National Presbyterians for Renewal organization and had been the moderator of the San Joaquin Presbytery. He was a longtime member of the Dinuba Rotary Club.
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Henry loved many of us, his fellow servants, so very well through a generation. He loved Christ’s Church too. Moreover, he loved and served our precious Lord and Savior on earth so very well. May God comfort and uphold all the Greene family!
For those interested, Henry’s memorial service is scheduled for Wednesday, December 4th at 2 PM in the sanctuary of Central Presbyterian Church in Merced CA. It will also be broadcast into the Hoffmeister Center and related facilities. It will also be on the CPC website.
Karen and their chidren, Jeffrey, Peter and Kathryn and families greatly appreciate your prayers and your kind words.
I was there with our group at Glacier when Mr. Greene went down. Our friend Sue , who was recently certified
in CPR immediately went to Mr Green’s aid and stayed with him until higher level help arrived. We all prayed and hoped that he would somehow revieve . There was a circle of international observers(tourists) during the attempt to resurrect Mr. Greene. Germans, Chinese, Japanese , Russians and the Americans that were praying to God . We were saddened after an hour of intense CPR and electric shock that this wonderful man’s soul had gone to the Lord. Glacier is a beautiful place on this Earth . It was fitting that this holy man left this earth from one of God’s most beautiful creations.. We often think about Mr Greene and feel sad that we failed to bring him back.