John Green

A Loving Tribute to John Edward Green

Husband, Dad, Grampy, Brother, Uncle, Friend, and Total Character

John Green sadly left us much too soon in August 2025. John’s humor, intelligence, charm, curiosity, love of life, generosity, and thoughtfulness are sorely missed. He was living in Salt Lake City with his wife, Della, when he departed.

John was a loving and doting Husband, Father, Grampy, and Westie Papa. He loved sharing photos and stories of his and Della’s adventures, his beloved children and grandchildren, and the Westies he adored. He was incredibly proud of his kids, Erin and Andrew, their accomplishments, chosen partners, and the beautiful families they created. It was obvious to all who knew him, John had a huge heart and loved big.

He and Della married in 2002 after a short courtship and following a decade-long friendship. He said she was the best thing that ever happened to him, but she feels she is the lucky one. Many of Della’s girlfriends and their partners commented how John set the bar for romance. The man really knew how to send flowers!

John followed his Father and older brother into the hotel business, starting as a bellman in Dallas, Texas, where he grew up. His gift for hospitality, connecting with employees, and understanding business operations and finance made him unique and propelled his success. He earned the moniker “Rain Man” for his head for numbers and ability to spot budget shenanigans. Yet, he also never forgot a face or name. After a long absence, he would remember employees’ names and ask about their family or interests, which would always bring a wide smile to their face.

John’s work was not just a profession but a passion. He made being a strong leader and difficult problem solver look easy. He was both loved and respected by those around him, as he somehow managed to treat people with kindness and compassion, encouraging them to reach their potential, while also holding firm to wise business decisions.

Over a long and successful career, John was most proud of his Senior Vice President and Brand Leader roles at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts; SVP position at Pyramid Global Hospitality; and volunteer leadership post as Vice-Chair at Visit Boston. John loved the hotel industry and, after a few years of semi-retirement, returned to work in 2021 as a consultant. This eventually brought him to Radisson Salt Lake City, where he believed through his work, he was helping to develop the next generation of hospitality leaders. A colleague there nicknamed him Obi-John Kenobi, a nod to his love of both Star Wars and mentoring others.

He loved and appreciated the many wonderful relationships and lasting friendships that came through his work. People regularly commented he was their favorite boss or co-worker, that he championed them in getting a job at a critical time, or helped them through a rough patch with an act of kindness or sometimes tough love.

John was the consummate host at home as well, where he made people feel welcome, loved, cared for, and full! When you walked in the door, he’d remember your favorite drink and ask if he could make one for you. He loved to prepare carefully-plated, gourmet meals, and share beautiful bottles of wine, usually a favorite cabernet or pinot noir, from his home cellar. Countless wonderful memories were created with special people this way. His steaks, cornbread dressing, and mac & cheese are legendary!

Some of his cooking inspiration came from cooking shows he watched to relax. Top Chef, Beat Bobby Flay, The Great Food Truck Race, Be My Guest with Ina Garten, Salt Fat Acid Heat, and others, he was a fan. He would also sit down with some of his favorite chefs via their cookbooks, following their recipes while always adding his own twist.

John was a voracious reader (audiobooks of late), with international intrigue and mysteries being his favorite genres. He had a reverence and curiosity about Native American culture and history; Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee was a book that deeply touched him. One sweet habit he had was to give away his own copy of one of his favorite books, Judgement of Paris, to fellow wine lovers when the subject came up. Then he would get another copy and the cycle would repeat.

He loved current events and politics, considered himself a news junkie, and enjoyed going down the research "rabbit hole," as he called it. This, coupled with his knowledge of history, made him an interesting conversationalist. He could discuss almost any topic knowledgeably, and loved learning from the people he was conversing with, even if they had a different perspective (mostly).

Music was a thread that ran through John's life. As a young man, he worked as a roadie for Jerry Jeff Walker (Mister Bojangles), he DJd and played in a band, and played the guitar, which started early and remained a lasting hobby.

John saw many epic concerts in his lifetime. He saw the Eagles in small venues in LA in the 70s and for the final time in a stadium in 2023. After seeing Kenny Chesney at Sphere in Las Vegas, he said that was his best concert yet. Hope he’s enjoying all the good ones “up there”. Give a listen to Eagles Seven Bridges Road, David Wilcox Vista, Kenny Chesney’s I’m Alive (with Dave Matthews), or Dan Fogelberg’s Leader of the Band and think of John.

Baseball was a huge passion, and he was fortunate to go to many games of his beloved Red Sox . He was sitting on top of Fenway's Green Monster in 2004 when the Red Sox made a huge playoff comeback against the Yankees to go on and win the world series for the first time in 86 years. John jumping for joy in his pink dress shirt as David Ortiz’s home run flies over the Green Monster is memorialized at the end of the movie Fever Pitch (some versions). Like so many there, John was grinning ear to ear for days, happy to be in Boston when the Red Sox "Reversed the Curse."

He was a great storyteller, entertaining others with stories about good food and wine, books read, music enjoyed, places he’d been, and people he’d met. He often capped off a good tale with the disclaimer, “Why let the facts get in the way of a good story?”

John’s career took him to many places, but it was where his kids grew up, Boston and Denver, and Della’s home state of Nevada, he felt most at home. Living in Albuquerque, Chicago, New Jersey, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, and others, created a lot of unforgettable memories and brought many special people into his life. He also never forgot his roots in Jackson, MS, where he was born.

John will be lovingly remembered by his wife, Della Green; daughter, Erin (Brian) Petitmermet; son, Andrew (Katherine) Thomas-Green; four grandchildren; brother, Bill (Lin) Green; bonus sister, Becky Loper; sister-in-law Judie Green; and numerous nieces, nephews, and extended family. He is preceded in death by his father, E. Bill (Jean) Green, mother, Doris (Joe) Purcell (nee Reeves), and brother, Richard William Green.

A private Celebration of Life will be held next year.

Should you feel inspired, donations can be made to World Central Kitchen (donate.wck.org) in John’s honor.