Henry W. Greene, 77; Struggled to Preserve History of Venice
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Henry W. Greene, who led the homeowner fight to preserve historic Venice in Los Angeles, has died. He was 77.
Greene died of cancer Sunday at Good Samaritan Hospital.
Born in Southbridge, Mass., he was with the Navy Seabees during World War II and helped to build the floating harbor for the invasion of Normandy.
An electrician who worked for Douglas Aircraft for 30 years, Greene moved to Venice in 1950 and built the first house in the middle of the Venice oil field. In 1952 he co-founded the Venice Urban Renewal Advisory Committee, which petitioned to raise members’ taxes to improve their area.
The next year he co-founded the Venice Canal Improvement Assn., which petitioned the Los Angeles City Council to restore the area’s canal system. Greene continued fighting to prevent the city from paving over the canals and to preserve the colorful Venice Beach area.
Greene is survived by his second wife, Miori; a daughter, Stephanie Greene of Venice, a sister and a brother.
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