John Greene, Avid Sailor and Pilot, Dies at 66
Byline: The Log Staff
John R. Greene, an avid sailor, a longtime member of Coronado Yacht Club and a pilot, died Jan. 13, at age 66.
Greene was born March 13, 1945, to Joseph Robert and Lucille Greene.
He graduated from Point Loma High School in San Diego. Greene served in the Air Force and later worked as an inspector for a commercial airline.
In the 1970s and 1980s, his sailing skills in races out of Coronado YC made him a much sought-after captain and crewmember on many sailboats. Most of his racing was out of Coronado YC, San Diego Yacht Club and Southwestern Yacht Club.
Sailing and racing almost every weekend, Greene competed with many of the best-known San Diego area sailing names of the era.
“He even raced against Dennis Conner before his America’s Cup days,” recalled family friend Chris Grey. “His close sailing associations included Al and Wanda Poindexter, Warren Gross, Art and Arlene Cox, and Ed Rutledge, to name a few.”
In the past, Greene and his family also hosted America’s Cup participants from England in their home.
Most recently, Greene and his wife, Myra, resided in the Palm Springs area.
Greene is survived by Myra; his brother, Robert; his sister-in-law, Melva; his two sons, Joseph Greene and Michael Tingle; his daughter, Deanna Jones; and his grandson, Charlie Tingle.
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