KILMARNOCK—Terrell Everheart “Terry” Greene passed away on Monday, August 17, 2026.
He was born in Fort Benning, Georgia, the son of Francis Terrell Green and Ethel Everhart Green, on April 24, 1923. The final “e” in Greene was added later.
Terry led a full and joyful life, especially during the 57 years of his marriage to Nancy Gibson Greene who, to the dismay of all who knew and loved her, departed this life in the spring of 2019.
Terry studied at several schools and universities. His undergraduate studies were at Georgia Tech and UCLA; and his graduate work at Columbia and USC. During World War II he served overseas as a weather officer in the Army Air Corps.
Ultimately, Terry embarked on a career in aerospace and defense with the Rand Corporation and its spin-off, RDA. He served on the USAF Scientific Advisory Board and was awarded The Air Force Meritorious Service medal. He served in the White House Office of Science and Technology during the Nixon and Ford administrations.
While still working for Rand in California, he and Nancy owned and operated a plastic bottle factory. Later, in Virginia, they designed and built a series of contemporary houses. After his retirement from RDA, Terry continued to consult for the Defense Nuclear Agency.
In California, Terry and Nancy sailed with family and friends from San Francisco to Mexico, and the South Pacific to Hawaii. In Germany, they sailed on lakes. Returning to the U.S., settling on the East Coast, and switching from sail to power, they cruised the Atlantic coast and inland waterways from Montreal to the Bahamas and Florida Keys. In all, some 140,000 nautical miles.
While in Southern California, Terry raced their sailboats extensively in local and long-distance races as far as Honolulu and Acapulco, accumulating a shelf-full of trophies. He was a member and commodore of the California Yacht Club and the Indian Creek Yacht Club, and a member and officer of the Virginia Yacht Club and the Great Wicomico Cruising Club.
Terry was a long-time parishioner of Wicomico Parish Church and served as senior warden and member of the vestry. He was a member of the board of directors of the Northern Neck Orchestra.
All through Terry’s life, both before and after sailing, he was passionate about literature, especially poetry and also classical orchestral music. Passing the age of boat handling, Terry wrote and published four books of essays, memoir, stories of World War II, and other tales—Terry’s Run in 2019, Ramblin’ in 2021, Along the Way in 2023 and At Ease in 2026.
Terry’s children are Patricia Greene Hammond (deceased), David Terrell Greene, Laurence Robert Greene, Wade Hampton Greene, Kathryn Greene Lipscomb, Carol Susan Greene (deceased) and Margaret Greene Petroff; his grandchildren are James Ochs, Jeffrey Hayashi, Victoria Anderson Noell, Cathryn Herzog Greene, Thomas Lipscomb, Kaylin Greene, Christopher Greene, Nicole Greene, Katrina Greene, Jenna Greene, Andrew DeSantis, Allison Petroff and David Petroff; and his great-grandchildren are Scarlett Ochs, Brandon Ochs, Luca Anderson, Athena Hayashi, Liam Hayashi, Eero Herzog Greene, Callahan Greene, Jonah Herzog Greene and counting.
Funeral arrangements are being handled by Currie Funeral Home. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, September 10, at Wicomico Parish Church. In lieu of flowers, Terry and his family would appreciate memorial contributions made to the Endowment Trust of Wicomico Parish Church, P. O. Box 70, Wicomico Church VA 22579, or the Northern Neck Orchestra Foundation, P. O. Box 263, Kilmarnock, VA 22842.
