Louis Greer Obituary
Louis Greer, born on April 8, 1922, passed away peacefully in his Richmond home on March 30, 2020, -- warmly kissed by his wife, Sharon, embraced by his son, Richard, and watched by his care-giver, Danny.
Greer, as he liked folks to call him, left the farm of his father and mother, Armstead (AD) and Cordia in Point, Texas, at the age of 12 to learn entrepreneurship from his older brother, Theo, and sister, Millie, in Dallas, Texas, where Theo owned a diner, meal delivery service, and drug store.
Greer later joined the Army during WWII after which he was honorably discharged at the conclusion of the conflict. As a civil servant at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo, Ca., Greer, along with 20 other courageous men, fought for and won concessions towards equal pay, treatment, and advancements equal to their white counterparts.
After he completed training as a GIA certified gemologist, Greer left the shipyard to run his own jewelry business for more than 40 years on the corner of Ashby and Sacramento streets in Berkeley.
Using the equity from his store, where he also lived upstairs, Greer renovated the first of many residential properties for sale or rent.
Later he branched out into commercial real estate to own multiple storefronts and residential properties throughout Oakland, Berkeley, Richmond, and Tracy. Seemingly everywhere in the Bay Area, people knew and greeted him with joyful enthusiasm.
He enjoyed world travel as well as local camaraderie with fellow business and civic leaders. He was preceded in death by his eldest son Michael Sr., and grandson Michael Jr. and 10 brothers and sisters .He leaves behind to cherish his memory his wife, Sharon, and son Richard; grandchildren, Tieshawn and Zurich (Jordan); a devoted cousin, Karl Seabrook, a host of great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends survive him.
Because of COVID-19, the announcement for a memorial service is planned for later this summer at the earliest when the stay-at-home orders are lifted across the country.
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May 6, 2026
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January 5, 2022
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April 7, 2020
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April 5, 2020
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April 4, 2020
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