Katherine Green Obituary

Katherine Frances (Harris) Green November 15, 1942 – October 22, 2025 Wife, Mother, Grandmother, Artist, Writer, Teacher, Journalist, Volunteer. Katherine was born in New Haven, Connecticut, to Miriam Adams Enochs and Joseph Harris. Her family moved to Detroit when she was very young. There she attended Harris Elementary School on the city's east side and People's Baptist and Tabernacle Missionary Baptist churches. She continued to attend church in every city she lived. With love and grace, she also encouraged her children to develop their faith in Christ. A bright and curious student, Katherine completed middle school at age 12 and became a proud alumna of Cass Technical High School. An avid reader, she sometimes skipped school to go to the library. As a student in Cass Tech's Performing Arts curriculum, Katherine enjoyed painting sets for school performances, further fueling her lifelong love of the arts. Katherine graduated from Cass Tech a semester early, shortly after turning 16. A Passion for Education and Writing While Katherine dreamed as a child of becoming an author and a reporter for The Detroit Free Press, her mother and loving stepfather, Luther Enochs, encouraged her to follow a more financially sustainable path. Her love of children prompted her to earn a bachelor's degree and later a master's degree in education, both from Wayne State University in Detroit. At age 18, in the midst of her coursework, Katherine married Dennis Oliver Green, whom she met through mutual friends. The tipping point in their relationship was when Dennis took Katherine to see Ben Hur at the movies. She was 21 years old when the couple welcomed their son, Damon Scott Green. Nearly three years later, their daughter, Leslie Denise Green was born. Though Wayne State provided Katherine with a hands-on approach to teaching, the Detroit Board of Education required its teachers to adhere to different methods. As a result, Katherine joined Friends School of Detroit as a reading specialist, elementary, and later, middle school teacher. At the same time, she served on the Detroit Lighting Commission. In 1976, her husband was appointed to the Carter Administration, and the family embarked on a new adventure when they moved to Silver Spring, Maryland. There, Katherine taught English at Suitland Senior High School. While other teachers struggled with student resistance and even vehicle vandalism, Katherine earned the esteem and trust of her students, teaching them to respect themselves and one another. A Dream Realized in Journalism While in D.C., someone at the White House told Katherine about a journalism fellowship at the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. She saw this as the opportunity of a lifetime and applied. Of course, she was accepted. When the family returned to Detroit, Katherine embarked on her new path. Although a professor informed Katherine that she was too old and laden with children to succeed in journalism, she excelled. She commuted between Detroit and Ann Arbor for several years, first as a student, then as a prolific, award-winning reporter for the Ann Arbor News. All the while, she continued supporting her husband and children with love, encouragement, seemingly boundless energy, and fresh-baked desserts. Still determined to become a reporter at The Detroit Free Press - despite the lack of job openings - Katherine wrote to publisher David Lawrence Jr. until he praised her persistence and created a role for her. After several years of reporting, she transitioned to copyediting. In 1987, she received a publisher's commendation for her work on the Freep's high school journalism program praising her "infinite patience, good humor and the ability to teach..." She also mentored and sometimes housed interns. Later in her career, Katherine served as principal at Roeper Lower School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and then as an assistant professor of Journalism at both Wayne State University and the University of Michigan. All the while, she remained active with friends and church, and was ever-present for her family. Retirement and Ongoing Service Katherine retired from teaching when she and Dennis moved to New York in 1990 but became more active in other areas. She wrote the novel, Wild Butterflies, published by Wildemere Publishing in 2017. She served on the board at the Alvin Ailey Dance School, volunteered as a teacher at the Ailey summer camp, endowed a scholarship for Ailey students, and volunteered at the Metropolitan Museum of the Arts. Katherine and her husband also enjoyed traveling the world - reaching nearly every continent - and collecting art from local artists in Detroit and the Low Country all the way to Asia and the Mediterranean. In South Carolina, she continued her community service, serving on the Thornwell Home for Children board and at Sea Island Presbyterian Church. Katherine and Dennis founded The Olive Tree Foundation in 1997 to support organizations focused on improving lives and strengthening communities. She became an even more talented and prolific painter and made great friends through bible study and book clubs. That's the abbreviated version of the very full life of Katherine Frances Green. She is survived by her loving husband of 64 years, Dennis O. Green; children Damon S. Green Sr. (Cassandra) and Leslie D. Green (Duane Robinson); grandchildren Dayna S. (Green) Harris (Corey), Dannielle S. Green Etherton (Luke Etherton), and Damon S. Green II (Veronica); great-grandchildren Ella Rose Harris, Amira Harris, Emmalyn Harris, and Liliana Etherton; brothers Joseph Harris Sr. (Justine), David Harris, Danny Harris, and brother-in-love Gary Braden; sisters Judy Harris, Mary Harris Miller, and Linda Harris; and a host of nieces and nephews. Click this link to view additional details about Katherine's Services: https://my.gather.app/remember/katherine-green-2025