Democratic Party activist Green dies

Ed Koch and Mary Manning

Thursday, May 8, 2003 | 11:16 a.m.

Leon Green, a Henderson resident who was a longtime Democratic Party activist and campaign organizer, died Sunday at Desert Springs Hospital after a long illness. He was 74.

Green worked as a security guard at Titanium Metals Corp. in Henderson, but he may have been most widely known as a delegate to local and state Democratic Party conventions.

"Leon represented the people who are the backbone of our society," said former Gov. Mike O'Callaghan, chairman of the Sun. "He was proud of his work, church, family and community and contributed to all of them. He made friends every place he went."

Charlie Waterman, Clark County Democratic Party chairman, called Green "an idea man" who helped the party any way he could.

"He was always there," Waterman said. "Leon enjoyed being part of the structure of the party -- a good liberal who offered a lot of ideological support. He was just a loyal Democrat."

In his spare time Green worked on behalf of his church, the Victory Road Church of Christ, his brother Wilbert Green of Thousands Oaks, Calif., said.

Born March 30, 1929, in Vidalia, La., Leon Green moved to Southern Nevada in 1954. Other than a short stretch from 1957 to 1959 in Los Angeles, Green lived in Southern Nevada the rest of his life.

He was a Korean War Army veteran.

Visitation is scheduled for noon to 7 p.m. Friday at Palm Mortuary in Henderson. Services will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Palm Mortuary in Henderson. Burial will follow in Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Boulder City.