Don Green

Don Carroll Green, 77, of Mexia, Texas died Sunday, January 5, 2014 at Hillcrest Medical Center in Waco, Texas after battling an acute illness. A memorial service is scheduled for 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, January 8th at Tehuacana Methodist Church in Tehuacana, Texas. Arrangements are being handled by Blair-Stubbs Funeral Home in Mexia, Texas. Don was born March 19, 1936 in Okmulgee, Oklahoma to Edgar and Edith Green. The family moved to the Mexia area when Don was a young boy. As a teenager, he and his friends and cousins would spend time hunting, fishing, and camping out whenever they could. As a young teenager, Don began working in the Mexia oil fields as a roustabout. Stories included Don and other young oilfield workers seeing who could climb the derrick ladders the fastest using only their hands. While attending high school in Mexia, a young woman named Marjorie Trotter caught Don's eye. He asked a friend who she was. After learning her name, he announced he was going to marry her one day. They did so in the Tehuacana Methodist Church in 1957. As Marjorie finished high school, Don finished an Associate's degree at Navarro Junior College where he has been named a Distinguished Alumnus. He completed his bachelor's degree at Sam Houston State University, where he also finished a master's degree. The couple moved to College Station, with their first son, Don Edd, and welcomed their second son, Jon. Don completed a PhD in Biology at Texas A&M. Shortly after, Don and his family moved to Austin where Don was working at the University of Texas. When a position on faculty at Southwest Texas State University's biology department came open, the young family moved to San Marcos. Don's career in academia grew and so did his family with the addition of his daughter, Angela. The growing university tapped Don to explore developing an educational degree program in health professions. After a few years of hard work and dedication, Don began to hire the first faculty for the new School of Health Professions in 1973, which just celebrated its 40th anniversary. As its founding dean, Don mentored faculty and students both in and out of the classroom. He retired from the university in 1991. While in San Marcos, Don served in many civic organizations, including the Jaycees, the Chilympiad Board of Directors, and the Rotary Club. After his retirement, Don and Marjorie moved back to their hometown of Tehuacana, where Don took up his passion of cattle ranching. He also began working to preserve wildlife and native grasses as part of a comprehensive land management strategy. Throughout his life, when he wasn't teaching or working the land, Don was an avid coon hunter, serving multiple terms on the Texas State Coon Hunters' Association Board of Directors. He also held a membership in the Texas Southwest Cattle Raisers Association, and was recognized as a Lone Star Land Steward for his wildlife management efforts. After Marjorie passed away in 2007, Don remarried Bennie Flatt, and the couple continued to develop his ranch, the Two Dot G. Don was preceded in death by his parents; his sister and brother-in-law Rosemary and Edwin Price; and his wife, Marjorie. He is survived by his brother and sister-in-law Michael and Patsy Green of Oletha; wife, Bennie; his son and daughter-in-law, Don Edd and Angie Green of The Woodlands; his son and daughter-in-law, Jon and Kellie Green of Mart; his daughter and son-in-law, Angela and Scott Clendenin of College Station; grandchildren Billy and Denise Green, Jessi Green, Chance Green, Erin Green, Lauren Contreras, Meghan Green, Mallori Green, John Clendenin, and Bryce Clendenin; and great grandchildren Andrew, Mikaela, and Caleb Green, and Malakai Contreras. In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to the Don C. Green Memorial Scholarship Fund in the College of Health Professions at Texas State University, Office of University Advancement, 601 University Blvd, San Marcos, Texas, 78666.

Service Information

Wednesday, January 8th, 2014 1:30pm, First United Methodist Church-Tehuacana