Greene, Galen E. 'Skip'

Galen E. “Skip” Greene, 76, of Iowa City, died Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012. at Mercy Hospice in Iowa City.The family will greet friends Monday, Dec. 10, from 4 to 7 p.m. at The Kirkwood Room, 515 Kirkwood Ave., in Iowa City. A Celebration of Life will begin at 5 p.m., followed by food and refreshments. A memorial service is also being planned for a later date at Christ Episcopal Church in Cedar Rapids. Private burial will be at Memory Gardens Cemetery in Iowa City.

Instead of flowers, the family requests memorials to Iowa City Hospice.

Lensing Funeral Service in Iowa City is handling arrangements.

Skip was born Dec. 31, 1935, in Fort Dodge, Iowa, the son of Kenneth and Muriel (Hurst) Greene.

He graduated from City High in 1953 and from the University of Iowa's School of Dentistry in 1960.That same year he married Rachel Crawford (Mills) and they later divorced. He was commissioned a captain in the United States Air Force, serving two years at Laughlin Air Force Base in Del Rio, Texas.Skip returned to Iowa and opened a private dental practice in Hiawatha in 1962 and later moved to Cedar Rapids, where he practiced for 25 years.

In 1978, he married Carol Jens in Cedar Rapids and in 1987, they purchased a travel agency in Jacksonville, Fla., where they resided until Carol's death in 2003.Skip's love of Iowa and his many friends here brought him home that same year, where he became reacquainted with a former City Highclassmate, Alma Ann “Annie” (Hartley) Asleson, and they married in 2005.

He was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity and Delta Sigma Delta dental fraternity, lifetime member of American Dental Association, president of the Linn County Dental Society, president of the University District Dental Society, a member of Christ Episcopal Church in Cedar Rapids and a 34-year friend of Bill W.

Skip bled black and gold for the Hawkeyes and red and white for City High.His many hobbies and interests included golf, tennis, traveling, reading, hot air balloons and a trivia addiction.Those who knew him would agree he was proud of his family, never wavered from his convictions and was fiercely loyal to his friends.He was a happy guy who gave you his complete attention.Skip had a great sense of humor and could be counted on to have a joke or a story to share with you.He thoroughly enjoyed life, living it to its fullest. Remembering Skip will bring smiles to those who knew and loved him.

He was preceded in death by an infant daughter, Leah Catherine; his parents; brother, Ty; and his stepmother, Florence Cilek Greene.

Skip is survived by his wife, Annie of Iowa City; son, Vincent (Carrie) Greene, and grandson, Nathan Greene, of Baltimore, Md.; daughter, Virginia Greene (Brian Hanna), and grandson, Laird Hanna, of Cedar Rapids; sisters, Kay (Paul) Loeffelholz of Bozeman, Mont., and Ann Lamberson of Safety Harbor, Fla.; stepchildren, Beth, Cindy and Ed; many nieces and nephews; and his dear friends, Vincent and Rachel Mills.

The family wishes to thank doctors Ashby, Mehegan and Sarin and all the nurses who helped take care of Skip.They would also like to express their gratitude to Iowa City Hospice and Mercy Hospice for their care and support.

Online condolences may be directed to www.lensingfuneral.com

Published Dec. 7, 2012 in The Gazette