Carl Green, 88

Carl Maynard Green, 88, formerly of Athens and Mendon, died Wednesday, April 16, 2014 at Kairos Dwelling Hospice Home in Kalamazoo. He was born in Fremont, Ind. on June 10, 1925 the son of the late Homer Avery and Mary Elizabeth (Gallaway) Green. He graduated from Fremont High School in 1943 and enlisted in the U.S. Navy that same year. After his military discharge he came to Athens where he worked at Nottawa Gardens and for Crowell Brothers Fuel. He then moved to Mendon where he owned and operated a Citgo gas station for 24 years.

Carl was a former member of the First Congregational Church in Athens before moving to Mendon. While in Mendon he was a member of the Mendon United Methodist Church and served as a trustee and on the Pastor-Parish committee. He enjoyed music and sang in the church choirs and in the annual Mendon Kiwanis Showboat. He learned to fly while in the military and later enjoyed piloting planes for business and recreation. Carl’s family hosted two foreign exchange students in the early ‘70s and were instrumental in the building of the John Green Memorial Track at Mendon High School. He was a sponsor and bowled in the Mendon Sunday Night League and was a volunteer for Mendon Ambulance Service. He retired to Zephyrhills, Fla. where he enjoyed playing golf and square dancing.

Carl was married to Margaret Louise Bornor on June 21, 1950 in Athens. Margaret died March 22, 2009. He was also preceded in death by a son, John; daughter, Barbara; son-in-law, Ken Austin; brothers, James and Daryl Green; sister, Elsie Ackerman-Mahoney.

He is survived by son, Daniel (Gayle) Green; daughters, Deborah Austin and Laura (Bill) Green; seven grandchildren, Lisa (Chris) Loker, Ryan (Melissa) Austin, Brent (Deanne) Austin, Monica (Mark) Graham, Jeremiah (Jill) Green, Samantha (Mark) DeVries, and Elizabeth (Jason) Walker; 12 great-grandchildren; and a brother, Jerry (Ruth Ann) Green.

The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday April 18 at the Eickhoff Funeral Home in Mendon. Funeral services will be 11 a.m. on Saturday at the funeral home with Rev. Patricia Catellier, Pastor of the Chapel Hill United Methodist Church of Portage, officiating. Burial and military honors will be in Ft. Custer National Cemetery on Monday, April 21 at 2 p.m.

Memorials may be directed to either the Mendon United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 308, Mendon, MI 49072, to Kairos Dwelling, 2945 Gull Road, Kalamazoo, MI 49048, or to the John Green Invitational Relays in care of the Mendon Kiwanis Club, P.O. Box 296, Mendon, MI 49072. Condolences may be left for the family at www.eickhofffuneralhome.com.