Peter W. Green's Obituary
Peter W. Green, age 80 of Lewes, DE, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, December 27, 2016 at his home next to Lewes Canal and Marsh (a little slice of heaven). He was born Friday, June 05, 1936 in Wilmington, DE, the second child of the late Judge Percy W. Green (New Castle County Court of Common Pleas and a former Attorney General of Delaware) and Marie (Reynolds) Green.
At five days old, Pete made his first trip to the family's summer home on the beach block of Pennsylvania Avenue in Rehoboth Beach. That marked the beginning of a couple of decades of much-enjoyed summer seasons at our beach. He said he thought that, as a teen, he worked at "every roasted-nut joint and ice cream store on the boardwalk". As a young boy, he worked as a pin-setter at the bowling alley, earning a dime a game, tending two alleys at a time. Years and swimming skills later, he became a member of the Beach Patrol. Rehoboth Beach was good!
Growing up in Wilmington, Pete attended public schools, graduating from P.S. DuPont High School, Class of 1953. Throughout his childhood and youth, working as a workshop "grunt" under his father's guidance (and insistence), he learned the skills of repairing and refinishing furniture by hand. As unpopular activity as it often was for a young fellow, who'd rather have been playing ball on the sandlot, the skills and patience learned proved useful during his lifetime. He renovated and resided in two Delaware historic homes: The Lewden House (circa 1770) in Christiana, and the DeWolfe House (circa 1830) in Lewes, along with the innumerable furnishings he restored. In Pete's last career incarnation, he sold and repaired antiques at his store in Harbeson, Pete's Antiques. After leaving the retail business, he continued restoring furniture at his workshop in the old Lewes Ice Plant until he was 78 years old. He found peace and satisfaction in working with his hands, returning pieces to former function and beauty.
Pete received his B.A. degree in 1957 from the University of Delaware, with a double major in Political Science and History. His passion for English History led him to become an avid Anglophile, which would become important down the road. He belonged to Sigma Nu (social fraternity) and found great joy pitching on UD's baseball team. A lefty "junk-baller", he was effective enough to be drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies' farm team, but self-reported, one could hit his fastball "from Second Street, Lewes, to the Delaware Bay". Result: Pete headed to the University of Virginia, School of Law. He earned his LL.B degree in 1960 and was a member of Delta Theta Phi Law Fraternity. The Faculty selected him to enter a new program which combined studies in the School of Law and the School of Medicine, earning the LL.M degree, with the specialty of medical jurisprudence in 1961. Reluctantly leaving the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, but happily returning to his hometown of Wilmington, he began practicing law. He also became an enthusiastic member of the Wilmington Active Young Republicans, and thereafter enjoyed the study and banter of politics. After resigning from public service, he practiced law in the private sector.
Relocating to Lewes in 1976, he re-invented himself in various endeavors. He sold real estate, specializing in Historic Lewes, bartended and learned about the restaurant business at the Seahorse Restaurant in Rehoboth, and sold automobiles at Cliff Diver's dealership. Likely his greatest contributions to Lewes was his project to renovate the historic Walsh Building and the December 1983 opening of The Rose and Crown Restaurant and Pub. His creation: a year-round neighborhood restaurant and locals' watering hole. He personally gathered artifacts and authentic pub decor and equipment during several trips to the UK, and he and his business partners built a unique, welcoming eatery and social gathering place. The early 1980s Second Street commercial district was partially vacant/boarded-up/run down, with only a few established retail and service businesses---and very few eateries. The immediate popularity of The Rose and Crown started a significant increase in Second Street's evening activity. The pub can surely be credited with initiating the revitalization of downtown Lewes. Look at the gem of a "Main Street" that Second Street is today...smile, and thank Pete Green for his forward-thinking vision and for getting the ball rolling 33 years ago.
Pete was a diehard fan of UD Football and Phillies Baseball. An accomplished cook and bartender, he was the consummate host. You would have a great meal and a good time at Pete's! Those who knew him as a friend, or an acquaintance, will remember Pete's sociability, his intelligence, and his quick wit; and when you heard a wicked-crazy laugh, you knew Pete was in the house. Those of you he made fudge for annually, no doubt missed receiving it this Christmas.
Pete enjoyed gardening and flower arranging, and the myriad recipients of his flowers and poems are encouraged to do the same for others who just may need a little lift to their spirits. A classic romantic, he appreciated all things beautiful, and he was a talented designer of interiors and landscapes. He was, at times, a crusty curmudgeon; but underneath, he was a compassionate, kind, and gentle soul. Although not a Bible-thumper, he was a man of deep and abiding faith. In recent years he worshipped with the congregation of Bethel Methodist Church. Many other interactions with Pete concluded with the lovely wish, "God Bless".
In addition to his parents, Pete was preceded in death by his sister, Pennvia Green Whitaker and his stepmother, Edith Green. He is survived by his two sons, of which he was so proud: David R. R. Green of Wilmington and Lewes (Jacqueline Gabrysh), and Peter W. Green, Jr. of Milton (Kate); his daughter, Ellen Green Lewis of Chester Springs, PA (Greg); and his grandchildren: Peyton, Will, and Emma Green, all of Milton, and Catherine Lewis of Chester Springs, PA. He will be sorely missed by his sidekick of the past dozen years, Janet Myers of Lewes. She and Pete were constant companions, workmates, and "goombas".
Honoring his wishes, there will be no formal/organized memorial service, however, at a later date, his friends will plan and announce an informal/disorganized gathering celebrating the long life of this unique, special person. His inner circle will inter his cremains with his father's family in Booth's Corner, PA.
Please sign Pete's online guestbook located on this page.
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