Ralph E. Greene, Chairman of New Age Truth of Missouri, departed this earth plane on May 15, 2020.
Membership present and past honor him and we will continue to build upon the foundation he set, established and nurtured for New Age Truth in Missouri under the direction and guidance of our founder and Master Teacher, Dr. David M. Berry. Chairman Greene is greatly missed (in form) but his true essence and energy continues to be a guide and example to us all.
Chairman Greene held a Bachelor Degree in English from Edward Waters College, Jacksonville, Florida; Master Degree in Theater from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (where he also completed studies for Ph.D. in theater); education and arts administration certifications from Stetson University, Florida; Sangamon State University, Illinois; and University of Virginia, Charlottesville. He taught English and Literature at public high schools in Florida until 1970 when he desired a career change and left to pursue a degree in theater arts. From 1974 through 1996 he was Artist-in-Residence at the Katherine Dunham Center for Performing Arts, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, East St. Louis and in 1984 became the Director of the Katherine Dunham Center for the Performing Arts and remained in that position until his departure from the University in 1996.
He was the co-founder and Artistic Director of Unity Theatre Ensemble (formerly known as the Kutana Players) whose performance history spans the decades from 1971 until its production in October 2012 when health challenges required him to take a hiatus from rigorous creative activities. In December 2017 he returned to limited creative activity with the theater company until the last production in May 2018. A film documentary to honor and to celebrate his artistic legacy is currently in development and is proposed to debut in May 2021.
In January 1976, Chairman Greene had a dream in which he saw a man, who he never met, walking along the oceanside and, in that dream, he followed this man down a winding path. The next morning, Greene called and asked his friend (who later became his wife), Bonnie Harmon, who had previously met Dr. Berry in 1975, to describe his features. With her description, Greene realized that it was Dr. Berry that he saw in that dream and was determined to meet him. He traveled to Chicago to be introduced. And after a private consultation with Dr. Berry, Greene said he felt like he had already known Dr. Berry for a long time. He realized, then, he had met his master teacher.
Dr. Berry later revealed that in one of his innerplane experiences, he saw two young men that he gave leadership to and that one of them looked just like Chairman Greene.
Greene became a devoted student of the life philosophy of New Age Truth and in 1976, under the guidance and direction of Dr. Berry, he helped to organize and establish the Missouri Chapter of the New Age Truth Organization formally named New Age Truth of Missouri, Incorporated. He was also appointed the “Chairman” by Dr. Berry in 1977 (when the organization was legally incorporated in the state of Missouri) and remained active in that lifetime position until his ascended transition from this earth plane on May 15, 2020.
"WELL DONE MY GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT.”
To view Chairman Greene’s online obituary, FaceBook Live Tribute and the featured newspaper articles select the links below:
https://stlouiscremation.com/obituaries/ralph-greene/
FACEBOOK LIVE TRIBUTE: https://vimeo.com/431547076
St. Louis American Feature Article
East St. Louis Monitor Feature Article
