CROSBY — John Lawrence Greene died Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011, at Field Memorial Hospital in Centreville. He was 85.

Mr. Greene was born in Clifton, S.C. He was a retired 20-year veteran of the U.S. Navy and retired from St. Regis Paper Co. as a land surveyor. He was a longtime deacon at the Crosby Baptist Church.

He was preceded in death by his parents, John Henry Greene and Marie Carter Greene; and three sisters, Easter Plemmons, Betty Powers and Mary Ruth Hamilton.

Survivors include his wife of 56 years, Melba Johnson Greene; two sons, Lawrence E. Greene of Crosby and John Michael Greene of Hampton, Va.; three daughters, Carol R. Pace of Vicksburg, Melba B. Shell of Crosby and Karen Greene Hollowell of Gloster; seven grandchildren, Carol Bunch of Natchez, Nathan Shell of Crosby, Elijah Hollowell and Michael Hollowell of Gloster and Adysen, Aaron and Aiden Greene of Hampton; seven sisters, Mae Long, Bobbie McLean and Ellen Pike, all of Asheville, N.C, Johnie Parker of Leicester, N.C., Margaret Lloyd of Weirsdale, Fla., and Ann Garrett and Martha Cooper, both of Fairfax, Va.; and two brothers, Charles Greene of Asheville and Robert Greene of Barnardsville, N.C.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Brown Funeral Home in Gloster with the Rev. Bart Houston officiating. Burial will follow at Roseland Cemetery with full military honors. Visitation will be from 5 until 8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home and Friday at the funeral home from 9 a.m. until the service.