James Raymond Greengrass

Obituary

James (Jim) Raymond Greengrass, beloved father and community leader, went to his Heavenly Home on 09/09/19.
He attended Addison High School and played basketball and baseball until he signed a baseball contract with the Binghamton, NY minor league club in the New York Yankees organization. He would later finish his high school education as a promise to his mother.
Out of Binghamton he moved up to Triple A Beaumont, TX, where he was an all-star left fielder.
The US Army during WW II claimed him for two years in Special Services, where he made the all Army team and met his "Bride" Catherine. The two returned to Beaumont and he got the call to come up to Cincinnati and become a Redleg in 1951s mid-season player roster expansion.
His first major league appearance was in 51, and Rogers Hornsby called on him to pinch hit with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 9th at Crosley Field. He promptly delivered a grand slam to beat the Milwaukee Braves 4-0. He said his feet never hit the ground. His major league career spanned 6 years, and was cut short by an injury at the old Polo Grounds Park at third base with a career ending slide into third.
He went on to rehab, but after a short stint with the Philadelphia Phillies, he was never the same. He finished his baseball career in 1963 at Triple A in San Diego, California.
Upon retiring from baseball, he moved to Atlanta, and then Marietta, GA to become an instructor on the C5A project at Lockheed that was a 17-year career, before becoming a Deputy Sheriff in Cobb County Warrant division. He climbed to the rank of Lt. Greengrass. He served 17 years on the force and retired at age 65. He and "Bride" Catherine traveled the US in a motor home, they then settled in Chatsworth, GA, on a mountain top overlooking Carters Lake in North Georgia until his death.
During his lifetime Jim had done many events with children and with the Special Olympics in Ringgold, Ga. He had an Old Timer of the Year awarded to him after age 55, for a diving catch he made in old Fulton County Stadium in an Old Timers game in the mid-seventies. He delighted the fans with his play on the field, and with many speeches at charity events and card signings. He was the true meaning of and the perfect example of a professional, with a Love for the Game.

Rest In Peace James Raymond Greengrass.
Loved and admired by his family and everyone he touched. For the Love of the Game.
A service to celebrate the life of James (Jim) Greengrass will be held Saturday, September 21, 2019 at 2:00 PM from the chapel of Max Brannon and Sons Funeral Home. Retired Colonel Don Hunton and Rev. Eddie Brannon will officiate.
The family will receive friends beginning at 12:00 Noon until the service hour.
Max Brannon and Sons is honored to serve the Greengrass family.
The guest book may be signed and condolences may be shared with the family at www.maxbrannonandsons.com









Services


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