Jett Morgan Green passed from this life on Thursday, October 18, 2012 after a lengthy battle with cancer.
Services will be held at 2:00 PM, Saturday, October 27 at the Austin Avenue Church of Christ with Jim Brewer of Lubbock and Jeff McLain of Baton Rouge, LA officiating. Burial will follow in Eastlawn Memorial Park under the direction of Heartland Funeral Home of Early. Visitation will be held Friday, October 26, from 5 to 7PM at the funeral home.
Jett was born September 15, 1946 in Brownfield, Texas to Jett Morgan Green, Sr. and Othelia Franklin Green Dye. He attended school in Brownfield and Lubbock, Texas, graduating from Lubbock High School in 1965. Jett worked in finance and banking, holding various positions before going into the insurance business. During the mid-1980’s, Jett met Vicki Morris, a talkative blonde that stood a foot shorter than him. They married a year and a half later, in the fall of 1987. Together they raised two children, Eric and Erin.
Over the course of his life, Jett was a participant in many social activities. He was a member of the Kiwanis Club, and held various offices throughout his time in the organization. Sometimes it was putting together food baskets for families in need, or maybe a concession stand needed someone to volunteer, or his personal favorite, putting out flags for holidays; Jett could always be found offering a helping hand. Especially as the kids were growing up, you could always find Jett involved in all sorts of functions and events in and around sports. In his younger days, he refereed basketball games as well as coached football, basketball and baseball. While competition was important, Jett stressed sportsmanship and having fun over merely winning the game. Jett was also a devoted member of the church wherever he lived. Whether it was driving the church van, taking communion to the nursing homes or welcoming a visitor, he always made himself available for service to the congregation.
If you couldn’t find Jett in a crowd by his height (he was 6’6″), you could always track him down by his unique laugh. During the fall, you could bet that on Saturday afternoons he could be found watching his Texas Tech Red Raiders, his Dallas Cowboys on Sundays and followed the Texas Rangers. When his sport teams weren’t on, Jett loved to be outside. Some of his fondest memories were family fishing trips to various lakes or camping out in the mountains of Colorado. He was quite fond of the great outdoors, as it provided family time without the distractions of the city. If he wasn’t at a camp ground, or roaming around the backyard, you could probably find Jett either on the golf course or out at the lake fishing. Jett enjoyed the lake so much that he centered his and Vicki’s retirement plans around it.
Despite the many activities and interests of his life, nothing was more important to Jett than his family. You didn’t have to spend much time around him to know how much joy his grandchildren brought to him. He was a tireless playmate, often spending numerous hours pushing them in a swing or crawling around the floor. Whether it was holding a Barbie doll and repeating the proper dialogue from his instructing granddaughter, or being on the losing end of countless battles of soldiers from his chatty grandson, Granddaddy always made time for Gavin and Nichole.
Jett was the epitome of honesty and dependability. He went to great length to keep his promises; his word was truly his bond. You knew when you met him that he was a man of moral principle. He didn’t chatter needlessly, but if he spoke you could rest assure he brought something of value to the conversation. Even in his final days, when being moved by nurses in bed caused him immense pain; he still managed to answer their questions with “Yes ma’am” and “No ma’am.” He was a dedicated son, a devoted and loyal husband, a loving and consistent father, and a granddad who always made time for his grandkids. He leaves behind enormous shoes to fill, a body of spiritual work worth mimicking, and a legacy his family is more than happy to pass on. Words fail to convey just how sorely he will be missed.
Jett was preceded in death by his father Jett Morgan Green, Sr. of Ft Worth, his step-father Curtis Dye of Lubbock, and his mother-in-law Nina Morris of Plainview. He is survived by his wife, Vicki, his son Eric and wife DeAnne, and his daughter Erin, two grandchildren Nichole Green and Gavin Green, his mother Othelia Dye, two brothers Don Green and wife Lyn, Franklin Green, one sister Betty Lindsey and husband Pete, one sister-in-law Vanessa Brown and husband David, and several nieces and nephews.
The family suggests in lieu of flowers, memorials be made to the building fund for Cochabamba Bolivia or the mission work of Harry Hamilton in Santiago, Chile, both in care of the Austin Avenue Church of Christ of Brownwood, TX. Memorials may also be made to the Lake Brownwood Dam VFD.
