The following is from the Witness issue of February 5, 1981. Fr. Greener's official obituary follows this article.

Father Bill Greener indicated some 25 years ago that he didn't believe he would live to a ripe old age.  He didn't.

Father Greener had expected to die the sudden death of an exploding aneurysm, with which he had been troubled for years. Instead death came slowly, and finally, peacefully, from cancer. In any case, he had lived close to death for a major part of his priestly life.

Father Greener had a hardy look which did not suggest in any way that he might be in delicate health. He had a robust approach to life and to people that could be a bit shattering to a person on first meeting him. He came on strong.

It was recounted that in one of the parishes in which he served, the people of the parish were setting up tables in the hall for a coming event. One of the women leaned across the table to ask father's opinion on some of the arrangements. Father Greener put his knuckles to the middle of the table and vaulted across to her side of the table. The woman was so startled she forgot what she was going to ask him.

Bill Greener was an enthusiast for anything he believed in or undertook. He had been raised in Dubuque during the years when parish rivalry in schools and sports took all the attention of young people growing up.

He was a loyal Dubuquer. When he went to St. Paul Seminary, he soon got the nickname of "down home" from his twin-city classmates for his references to how things were done back in Dubuque.

Father Greener served many parishes through the Archdiocese as an associate pastor, primarily St. Patrick's and Holy Ghost in Dubuque, and St. Mary's in Marshalltown, but he was appointed pastor only once and that to St. Peter's, Subula and Sacred Heart, Green Island, in 1963.  There he remained to the day he died, and won a loyalty from the people of those little Mississippi river towns. They kept vigil through the night when his body was returned to be waked in their church.

Father Greener had, early in his career, become involved with the young. His bold come on suited him to that work, and he spend himself in youth programs of all kinds. He continued active in youth retreats and weekends as long as his strength allowed.

Even in his dying days, he responded as a well man might when visited or called at the home of his mother where he stayed for several weeks.

Besides holding wake through the night, his parishioners filled the upper and lower levels of St. Peter's, and it was obvious from their tears that they had lost a servant who had been loyal to them and whom they had learned to love very much.  Father Greener died Tuesday, February 3, 1981.

Official Obituary:

Funeral services will be held for the Rev. William Greener Friday, February 6 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Peter's Church in Subula. Father Greener died Tuesday evening February 3, after a lengthy illness. Archbishop James. J. Byrne of Dubuque concelebrated the funeral liturgy with the priests of the archdiocese at Subula.

Fr. Greener was born in Dubuque on August 3, 1926. He attended Loras Academy and College and was assigned to St. Paul Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota.

He was ordained to the priesthood at Christ the King Chapel on the Loras College Campus on April 16, 1950 by Archbishop Leo Binz, Coadjutor Archbishop, Dubuque.

Father Greener served as an associate pastor at St. John's Parish in Waterloo, St. Patrick's Parish, Dubuque, St. Clement's Parish, Bankston; St. Patrick's, Cedar Rapids; St. Joseph's in Mason City, Holy Ghost in Dubuque and St. Mary's in Marshalltown.

In 1963 he was named pastor of St. Peter's Parish in Subula and Sacred Heart Parish in Green Island, where he remained until his death.