David L. Greer, man with a mission
David L. Greer died peacefully at his home in Lewes Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, surrounded by family. He was born in New York City in 1930 to Thomas L. Greer and Gladys Pearson Greer.
David grew up in Darien, Conn., and Barrington, Ill. He received a high school diploma from Clark School in Hanover, N.H., where he was the drummer in the jazz band. Following graduation from Cornell with a degree in electrical engineering, he was commissioned as an officer in the Army Signal Corps. He served on active duty at Fort Monmouth, N.J., and Thule Air Force Base in Greenland.
In 1956, Greer joined General Electric, where he was employed for 31 years at its locations in Ithaca and Syracuse, N.Y., and Charlottesville, Va. His work involved wide-ranging electronics research with multiple papers and patents to his name.
Upon retirement, David moved to Lewes Beach and immediately enrolled in Janice “JJ” Mason’s sailing school at the Lewes Yacht Club. He was the only member of his class over 11. Active in child advocacy, he served as a court-appointed guardian ad litem under the CASA program in Georgetown.
David was an ardent believer in the preservation of open space, particularly around Lewes. He believed in the safeguarding and expansion of Delaware’s Coastal Zone Act, and expressed his views on these and other matters in letters to government officials and newspapers.
David met and married his second wife, Dorothy Greet, in Lewes, and together they supervised the design and construction of their energy-efficient home in central Lewes. When Dorothy suffered a heart attack, they were both propelled on a search for the optimal diet for health and longevity. They were inspired by Cornell professor emeritus T. Colin Campbell, PhD, author of “The China Study,” to adopt a whole-food, plant-based diet. Their health improvements were so impressive that they made it their mission to educate themselves and the community about the risks of consuming animal-based foods and the benefits of a plant-based lifestyle.
As a Cornell graduate, Greer was alarmed to learn that his alma mater, a significant dairy industry promoter, was engaged in a misinformation campaign to discredit their eminent professor T. Colin Campbell, PhD, and his groundbreaking research. In response, Greer joined forces with Colin’s son, the filmmaker Nelson Campbell, to support the production of a film about the extraordinary life and work of Dr. Campbell. This unfolding “David and Goliath” story was profoundly meaningful to David and may well be the key to alerting the public to the destructive impact of animal agriculture on the planet and its inhabitants.
In lieu of flowers, consider making a gift to this important project, PlantPure Movie Contributions, c/o Cobb, Ezekiel, Loy & Company, P.A., P.O. Box 387 Graham, NC 27253. Checks may be made out to PlantPure.
David will be dearly missed by his wife, four daughters, five grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, extended family through his marriage to Dorothy, and many friends and colleagues.
Private arrangements are in the care of Parsell Funeral Homes and Crematorium, 16961 Kings Hwy., Lewes.
Visit David's Life Memorial webpage at parsellfuneralhomes.com.
