As a powerful executive at Arthur Andersen and Co., John P. Greene fought hard for causes that had little to do with his job title. In the 1970s, he successfully brought more funding to Illinois programs for the mentally disabled.
He was a constant voice in the ear of then-Gov. Richard Ogilvie, congratulating him and encouraging him as he helped make Illinois one of the leading states in implementing new programs for the mentally disabled.
Mr. Greene, 69, died Saturday, Jan. 3, of lung cancer in his second home in Hilton Head, S.C. His Chicago-area residence was in Winnetka.
Mr. Greene grew up in Peoria, where he attended Peoria Central High School, daughter Jennifer Stadler said. He went on to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he was a student in the school’s esteemed accounting program.
At Illinois, he met his wife, Joan. They married in 1955, a year before they graduated.
After college, he went straight to work for Arthur Andersen in Chicago, his daughter said. His diligence paid off as he rose quickly, becoming a partner in the firm only 10 years later.
His dedication to his company was amazing, said daughter Nancy Caffoe.
His theory was that “you throw the clock away and do whatever it takes to get things done,” she said. “He would never compromise his principles, even when things got tough–he’d stick to what he thought was the right course.”
He put the same dedication into his volunteer work at what was then the Illinois Association for the Mentally Retarded, his wife said.
That’s why he rose to become president of the organization, she said, adding that his level-headedness led people to inherently trust him.
The parents involved in the organization “were so grateful,” she said. “It’s where his heart went. And he enjoyed doing it.”
After many years with Arthur Andersen in Chicago, Mr. Greene moved to Los Angeles in 1977 to help head up the company’s office there, Stadler said.
The family lived in Southern California for a few years and then moved to San Francisco, where Mr. Greene was the managing partner and oversaw most of Arthur Andersen’s Pacific Northwest operations as well as those in Japan. He stayed in San Francisco until 1990, when he moved back to Chicago and became a senior partner.
Mr. Greene worked at Arthur Andersen until he retired in 1995, completing a nearly 40-year career with the company.
Even though he logged long hours at work, “he was always there for us no matter how busy he was,” said Caffoe. “He would always take a call from one of his kids.”
Over the years, Mr. Greene built a reputation as a person “people sought for his advice and opinions and problem-solving ability,” Caffoe said. It was one of the reasons he was so successful, she said.
Besides his daughters and his wife, Mr. Greene is survived by a son, Scott; his sister, Carolyn Axt; and nine grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. Friday in Glenview Community Church, 1000 Elm St., Glenview.
