Green devoted life to helping care for others

Sparrow Greene, wife of former Canyon Lake Mayor Larry Greene, passed away at her home on Aug. 29 at 5:38 a.m. after a battle with cancer.

Sparrow Marlene Greene devoted her life to helping others. Sparrow was an emergency room nurse for 36 years at St. Jude Hospital where she received an Emergency Room Nurse of the Year award in the late 1990s.

“She was a free spirit and had a passion for taking care of others,” said Larry. “As a child, her lifelong passion was to be a nurse, and she fulfilled that dream.”

In 2018, the County of Riverside Emergency Management Department presented Sparrow with the Community Service Award for her 10 years of leadership in the Riverside County Medical Reserve Corps and her community work to increase emergency preparedness efforts.
Her work over the years includes FEMA terrorism response training, working with Doctors Without Borders and a collaborative disaster response training with Ventura County.

A Canyon Lake resident since 1987, Sparrow contributed to the community as a member of the Canyon Lake Emergency Preparedness Committee and as a volunteer at many of the community events.

In celebration of their 30th wedding anniversary, the couple renewed their wedding vows at the country club on Oct. 8, 2018. Larry and Sparrow have four children and five grandchildren between them.

Larry resigned his position as mayor and as a member of the City Council on Aug. 20 so that he could focus on caring for Sparrow.

A memorial service and celebration of life will be held at a later date.