Dr. James Edmond Green

Dr. James Edmond Green 
1939-2019

James Edmond Green, Ph.D., of Lakewood Ranch and Leakey, TX departed this world quietly and unexpectedly in the early hours of Feb. 1, 2019, after a life steered in the “fast lane” and filled with remarkable academic, professional and personal accomplishments.

He is survived by his wife of 21 years, Christine Moore Green, formerly of Northern Virginia and Hinsdale, IL, who was at his side when he died.  It was love at first sight when they met, with Jim telling Christine on their first date he intended to marry her. They lived in Virginia for 24 years before splitting their time between homes in Florida and Texas.  He is also survived by a brother, Howard W. Green, of Atlanta, and a cousin, Thomas Nolen, MD, of Columbiana, AL. 

Dr. Green was born Nov.1, 1939 in Atlanta to Edmund W. Green, MD, and Lena H.”Tena” Green.  With his parents working long hours to build a medical practice, Jim learned to occupy himself at an early age.  He became fascinated with machines, and spent his spare time building model racing cars and jet planes.  

His teachers recognized he was a gifted child and encouraged him to pursue his love of science and mechanics. After getting a BA in chemistry at Duke University and attending its medical school, he earned a Ph.D. in physiology. He conducted postdoctoral research at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and joined its research faculty, where he did pioneering computer research and published articles in scientific journals. 

As a computer imagery scientist, he started Robot Vision Corporation, which developed medical and business software applications for 20 years in Dallas.  He held many US and international patents, and leased some to Abbott Laboratories, which retained him as a Chief Scientist. The Emperor of Japan gave him an award for “Outstanding Research in the Fight against Colon Cancer.”

Jim later moved to Washington, DC, where he met Christine and spent the rest of his career contributing to the national security of the United States as a contractor with the Central Intelligence Agency and the defense intelligence community.  He received many commendations.  He also helped her public relations firm, NextWave Communications, Inc., with development of new business and client web sites, and served as vice president.  

His life-long passions were automobile design, racing, and mechanics; Corvettes; international travel; classical music; and making and repairing things in his workshop. He raced his Lola Cosworth on the amateur SE US Grand Prix circuit, and got the European Grand Prix to set up races in Dallas.  He was also a skilled marksman, a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association, and a member of the Republican Party in Texas and Florida. 

He pursued many other hobbies, and was active in his community. He held a private pilot’s license, and enjoyed snorkeling at tropical islands.  In Dallas, he was a member of the opera and symphony guilds. He toured Europe with the symphony and made many other trips to attend Formula One races and explore the countries with Christine. In Great Falls, VA, he belonged to St. Francis Episcopal Church, where he ushered for many years.  In Florida, he gave talks on computer and Internet security issues to community groups. 

Dr. Green’s most prized achievement, however, was designing and supervising the construction of a “green,”earth-sheltered house on 42 acres in the Texas Hill Country.  He had a crew blast out the side of a mountaintop with tons of dynamite, and then constructed a house out of a million pounds of concrete, glass, and steel.  The exterior glass walls offer panoramic, spectacular mountain views from every room. Architectural Digest.com called the engineering marvel one of the eight boldest houses of its kind in the world.   

Funeral and interment services for Dr. Green were held Feb. 27, 2019 at the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer in Sarasota.