Obituary
W.T. Greer, Jr. was born in Wharton, Texas, the first-born son to the late Ollie Mae and W.T. Greer, Sr. W.T., Jr. was a natural born leader from the beginning to the end with a thirst for life. He was adventurous, loved to golf, barbeque, travel and dearly loved sharing his experiences. His outstanding capacity to remember details made him a joy to listen to and re-experience his journeys as if you were there.
He has more than 25 years of experience in product engineering; holds an MBA from Southern Methodist University; a Master’s in Electrical Engineering from Texas Tech University and a BS in Electrical Engineering from Prairie View A&M University. In 1997, he received the National Black Engineer of the Year Award from the National Society of Black Engineers. He also received the Lincoln J. Ragsdale Outstanding Director Award from the Black Board of Directors Project and was recognized by the City of Phoenix for his work on the Civil Service Board.
He retired from Fairchild Semiconductor as Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Interface & Logic Group. Prior to that he served as Vice President and Director of the Advanced Technologies Logic and Analog Technologies Group for Motorola. During his tenure at Texas Instruments, Inc., W.T., Jr. invented technologies, which are still used worldwide today, for which he held patents for from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The innovative patents were for the invention of Writable Logic Array and the Read Back Latch Circuit. Before his illustrious journey took off, W.T. Jr., began his professional career at the Pantex Plant in Amarillo, TX, where nuclear weapons are dismantled and maintained.
W.T., Jr. was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Tucson, Arizona. He loved teaching people about the truths found in God’s word, the Bible. His trip to Jerusalem gave him a multi-pronged approach to his preaching and personal study. Having a mental picture of the Holy Land wasn’t enough for him. He wanted to go and see and experience the many places the Bible talked about, which he found very surreal – Bethlehem, dinner at the Sea of Galilee, standing in the Upper Room where the Last Supper took place, walking along the cobblestone path of the Via Dolorosa, and standing in the serenity of the Garden of Gethsemane, etched in his mind memories that drew him closer to God and gave him experiences he would share for years to come.
He never met a stranger. W.T. Greer, Jr. will be remembered for his informative and wildly entertaining stories-recounting experiences from his travels to far distant lands that would eventually encompass all the Continents around the globe with the exception of Antarctica. He was a take charge, “can do” person who was willing to get the job done for himself and for others. He was generous to a fault and helped so many along the way.
In his later years, when Cancer robbed him of his strength and stamina, it also gave him a softness that was treasured. During this time, he learned to slow down, have patience, and allowed us to show him a small measure of the service he had long showed all of us.
His memory will be cherished and kept alive by his loving wife, Amie Jo Greer; Children: W.T. Greer III, Sharlotte Greer, Kenneth Greer, Angela Greer, Katrina Greer, and Marcus Greer; Sisters: Helen Greer Gordon, Bessie Hughes; Brothers: Robert Greer, Darryl Greer, and his four grandchildren, W.T. Greer IV, Madison Greer, Kenneth Greer Jr and Karina Greer.