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| Alan Green in 2004 |
HARTFORD (06/22/2012) -- Alan Eugene Green, whose distinguished service in both church and society included leading Hartford Housing Authority, the Connecticut Conference Board of Directors, and the UCC-related New Samaritan Corporation, died on June 21 after a lengthy illness. He was 66.
Former Conference Minister the Rev. Dr. Davida Foy Crabtree praised Green's tenure as chair of the Conference's Board, which he completed in 2001. The first African American to serve in that capacity, he introduced both techniques and a spirit that furthered their work. "He got us so well organized that we could have in-depth discussion at board meetings instead of minutia," she recalled.
At the close of his service with the Board, he received a special tribute, including these words: "You have kept our eyes on the important matters of faith, vision and integrity... We sing your praise for your manner of conducting meetings, for your commitment to inclusiveness, and for your own personal witness to the faith."
In an 2000 interview with then-ConnTact editor the Rev. Hal Chorpenning, Green told the story of his aunt, Mildred Graves, as she lay in her final days. Gathered with other family and a pastor, they prayed with her. As the group gathered to go, Green said, she motioned them back to her bedside.
"And she said a prayer for us," he remembered. "It was that turning moment for me. To know that to live the life the way that we should, to think of others: she set the example."
"I'm looking for opportunities to live my life in such a way that I can have the same kind of faith," he continued. Not long afterward, he was asked to serve on the Conference Board of Directors, increased his activity at Faith Congregational Church UCC in Hartford, and not long thereafter left his consulting practice to take up the challenges of low-income housing in Connecticut.
In each capacity in which he served, Green led with dignity, great gifts of talent and intelligence, and a quiet humility.
Alan Eugene Green was born December 14, 1945, in Hartford, and was the only son of the late Charles C. Green and Hazel Gay Green of Hartford. He was married to Constance Belton Green for forty wonderful years. They met and were engaged six weeks after they first met. He was a graduate of Weaver High School, University of Hartford, and the University of Connecticut School of Law.
Alan was a member of Asylum Hill Congregational Church UCC in Hartford, and also had longstanding family ties to Faith Congregational Church UCC. He was also a member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Sigma Pi Phi Boule, and the Sons of the American Revolution.
His forty year professional career, spanning corporate and public service, included: Executive Director of the Housing Authority of the City of Hartford; Executive Director of the New Samaritan Corporation; Principal in the Consulting firm of Green Wilson & Associates; Executive Director of the New Haven Foundation; and Associate Director of the Hartford Foundation. He was also a former chairman of the Connecticut Humanities Council.
He received numerous awards for his community and public service, including: The University of Connecticut Law School Distinguished Alumni Award; the National Conference of Community Justice Human Relations Award; and was inducted into the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford Alumni Hall of Fame.
Alan loved his work and loved his community; however, foremost he loved his family. As his family’s historian, he established the Seymour Black History Month -- an annual dialogue with relatives documenting the Seymour family’s lineage. He also spoke at several events throughout Connecticut on his family history. He loved spending time with family and friends in Connecticut and on Martha’s Vineyard, playing tennis, cooking, photography, swimming, and watching sunsets. There was always lots of laughter and jazz music around all his activities. One of Alan’s proudest moments was holding his newborn grandson, Wesley, when he was just 12 hours old.
Alan was dedicated to “paying it forward” by helping others and working in his community.
In honor of his work, vision, and dedication to Hartford, the Alan E. Green Hartford Housing Authority Scholarship Fund has been established at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving. The fund will provide scholarships for graduating high school seniors. Always a friend and confidant, he will be remembered for his love of family, giving spirit, and personal integrity.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by his daughters, Lea K. Green, an attorney in New York, and Linnie Green Wright, a college professor in Boston, his son-in-law, Bruce C. T. Wright, a journalist in Boston, and grandson, Wesley Alan Coleridge Wright. In addition, he has two first cousins, Bette Thomas, of Atlanta, and Linda Stewart, of Chicago. He was also blessed by a host of other family and friendships.
A worship service in celebration of his life and ministry will be held at 2:00 pm on Wednesday, June 27, at the Asylum Hill Congregational Church UCC, 814 Asylum St., in Hartford. In lieu of flowers, gifts in his memory may be given to the Alan E. Green Hartford Housing Authority Scholarship Fund to be awarded to graduating high school seniors who have had some involvement with the Hartford Housing Authority. Send checks made out to the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving (with Alan E. Green Scholarship on the memo line) to 10 Columbus Blvd., Hartford, CT 06106.
