Charlie was born to Leona and Charles Greene in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The family eventually moved to Tacoma where Charlie graduated from high school. Charlie served in the U.S. Army as a medic until his discharge in 1965.

Charlie’s deep compassion for people led him to a lifelong career as a mortician and funeral director. He worked for several funeral homes in Oregon before finding his place at the Riverview Abbey in Portland. He worked there faithfully for 19 years, up to a week before his death. Charlie’s devotion to his work, the Griffith family, and those he worked with, was a testament to the honorable man that he was. Charlie treated everyone with compassion and dignity and brought immeasurable comfort to the many families he served. His absence will be deeply felt by all.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Lois; his mother, Leona; brother, David Greene; daughters, Cherri Keller, Iva Lynn Burris and Lisa Arrington; sons, Eric Greene, and Scott, Mark, Herb and John Burris; 12 grandchildren; and one great-grandson. His father preceded him in death in 2006.

Services

1:00 pm ,Sunday, August 2, 2009
Riverview Abbey Funeral Home
0319 SW Taylors Ferry Road Portland, OR 97219