By Melanie Petrucci, Senior Community Reporter
Shrewsbury – If you are visiting Shrewsbury High School you just might be greeted by Donnie Green, Shrewsbury High School Athletics number one fan and one of the school’s longtime senior greeters. He is a fun-loving, gregarious person and perfect for the job!
Green, 85, is a town fixture. When not greeting at the high school, he can be found at the Shrewsbury Senior Center and at the high school football games cheering on the Colonials. He loves the Shrewsbury Athletics and has also spent many years coaching Little League.
Over the course of his life he has worked hard, raised a family and is still making a difference in town.
He was named grand marshal of the Spirit of Shrewsbury in 2014 and most recently helped raise a substantial amount of funding for the Shrewsbury High School turf fields. He also organized a recent community fundraiser, “The Shrewsbury Soak,” which was held Sept. 13 at Town Hall. Local officials were “soaked” for great local causes including Shrewsbury Parks & Recreation, Friends of the Shrewsbury Library, Shrewsbury Little League, St. Anne’s Human Services, and Council on Aging.
“I appreciate Donnie’s deep dedication to our town and our schools. His contributions as a volunteer and his loyalty as a fan have been tremendous,” said School Superintendent Dr. Joseph Sawyer. “His advocacy was key for securing a major sponsorship for our new athletic field at Shrewsbury High School, and his fundraising through the Shrewsbury Soak is greatly appreciated.”
He recently celebrated his 85th birthday on Sept. 26. He moved to Shrewsbury when he was 5 years old. His father owned the property along Route 9 where Stop & Shop and Meineke Car Care Center are now located.
Green went to the Center School where the Shrewsbury Public Library is now located, then he went to the 1830 School House and then on to Beal School, graduating in 1962.
He remarked that there are 28 classmates from his graduating class that are still living.
During his summer vacations, he would work at Shrewsbury Nurseries and then studied Horticulture at the UMass Amherst.
“I love being outside,” Green said.
In fact, he made horticulture his career. He owned his own business, “The Green Horticulturalist,” for many years. He also managed his father’s restaurant, Mickey Green’s, as well.
He met his wife, Janet Gay, over ice cream. She was a labor and delivery nurse at City Hospital in Worcester. They will celebrate 58 years of marriage in November.
“I am very blessed to have a wife like I do and all my family are healthy and very close,” he said.
They’ve raised two sons, one lives in Shrewsbury and the other lives in Holden. He has three grandchildren, two are in college and one is still in high school.
Donations for the “Shrewsbury Soak” are still being accepted. Checks made payable to the Friends of the Shrewsbury Public Library may be mailed to Donnie Green, 8 Janet Circle, Shrewsbury, MA 01545.
