David Ian Greene, originally of Southbridge, Massachusetts, and lately of Milford, Connecticut, where he moved in with his sister Meg due to a diagnosis of aggressive cancer, died on Tuesday, 23 December 2014, shortly before his 56th birthday.
He was born on 19 January 1959, to Nancy (Roukat) and Benjamin Allen Greene, Jr., the second of their four children.
He was a demanding, colicky baby, but nonetheless the apple of his mother’s eye, with his impish sense of humor, and his “why-were-they-wasted-on-a-boy?” blue-grey eyes featuring outrageous lashes.
More mechanically inclined than academically avid, Dave charmed his way through the Southbridge public school system and was a standout worker at any job he put his hand to. He played ice hockey in high school and loved the Bruins until his dying day. He partied through a year and a half at the University of Connecticut before dropping out to land a good job as a heavy equipment operator in the Greater Boston area and marry Cathy Johnson LaBonte, then of Sturbridge.
They had a beautiful daughter, Allison LaBonte, now 28, nearly the same age David was when his working days were cut short by an on-the-job accident that resulted in a traumatic brain injury and permanent disability. The injury created an unpredictable streak in Dave that cost him his marriage and also caused a general drifting away from family and friends in the years that followed. That connection was restored as his family rallied supportively around him during his illness.
David’s family has faith that he has been greeted in the afterlife by his dad who died in 2012.
He is survived by his mother Nancy Greene of Southbridge, MA; his sister Meg Greene of Milford, CT; his sister Beth Champney and her husband Dennis, also of Southbridge; his brother Rand Greene of Sturbridge, MA; his daughter Allison LaBonte and her fiancé Josh Couvillion, of New Orleans, LA; his longtime companion Gail Grimm of Danielson, CT, and his several nieces and nephews.
David’s wit and deadpan sense of humor (e.g., Meg: How are you feeling today? David: Well, my blood pressure is 20/20 and my pulse is a perfect 10-I’m doing great!) will live on in the hearts of those who loved him so much.
A graveside service in Oak Ridge Cemetery, Southbridge will be held at a later date. There are no calling hours.
In lieu of flowers, please send commemorative donations to the Connecticut Humane Society, 701 Russell Rd., Newington, CT 06111.
The Daniel T. Morrill Funeral Home, 130 Hamilton St., Southbridge, is directing arrangements.