Charles Douglas Greer May 21, 1921 - January 6, 2016
Santa Cruz, CA - Charles Douglas Greer (Doug), passed away at the young age of 94. Perhaps you had the privilege of meeting him when he would be out on a walk in Scotts Valley or Santa Cruz. He was quick to offer a smile and a four leaf clover. He loved to meet new people and share his sense of humor, good attitude and one or two of his many amazing stories about his life.
Born in Ottawa, Canada in 1921, Doug moved to Glendale, California in 1924. He began working in the movies at age seven after winning a freckle contest. It was his many freckles that earned him the name, "Turkey Egg" given to him by Robert McGowan, director of the "Our Gang" comedies, also known as, "The Little Rascals", which Doug was a regular in. His freckles reminded the director of the speckles that cover turkey eggs.
Doug spent twelve years of his childhood working in the movies alongside actors such as Mickey Rooney, John Wayne and Jackie Cooper. He was a member of the Screen Actors Guild and acquired around 60 screen credits. Due to his busy career as a childhood actor he found himself behind in school. Thanks to his homeroom teacher at Burbank High school he was able to graduate at age twenty-one.
He had learned how to work with aircraft sheet metal in high school which helped him get a job working for Lockheed Aircraft Company in Burbank, California. In 1943, during World War II, he was one of the first members of the 10th Mountain Division Ski Troops at Camp Hale, Colorado. After finishing training, he was transferred to inactive duty to go back to Lockheed for a specific job, just before his outfit was to head overseas to the Italian Alps. He later discovered that every officer in his company had been either killed or wounded in the first three days of battle.
After his job at Lockheed was finished, he was called back to service on June 8th, 1944 with the "1267 Combat Engineers" and visited England, France, Luxemburg and Germany. After the war was over he traveled to Marseille, France and traveled through the Panama Canal on his way to the Philippines. Malaria cut short his military service and he was Honorably Discharged on March 31, 1946.
Back in the Los Angeles, California he met and married his wife of forty years, Doris Greer. They had one daughter together, Diane and four grandchildren. He founded his own company, American Northern, Inc., a laboratory furniture and supply company, specializing in fume hoods, biological safety cabinets and exhaust systems. It was at Northridge Hospital that his equipment helped stop a tuberculosis outbreak.
In 1978, he designed and built a three-story home in Lake Tahoe and lived there with his family for several years, enjoying fishing and skiing. Doug was also an accomplished magician, and a lifetime member of the Magic Castle in Hollywood, California. He was a very genuine, caring person who wanted only the best for his family.
He is preceded in death by his wife Doris Greer; companion of 20 years, Beverly Paine; daughter Diane Welton; and his grandson Wesley McCall. He is survived by his granddaughter Christen Miller, grandson Scott McCall, granddaughter Misty Moran, and great grandchildren Sierra and Zachary Miller and Abram Moran (arriving 04/04/16). A memorial service for Doug will take place on February 20th at 2:00pm at Gateway Bible Church in Scott's Valley. View the online memorial for Charles Douglas Greer
Santa Cruz Sentinel (CA) - Sunday, February 14, 2016
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