Legendary fashion journalist, Walter A. Greene laid to rest after a moving home going celebration

The indelible life of Walter Arlington Greene, an iconic son of Guyana soil, a life well lived, was celebrated after a moving going home service on Dec. 12, with family, friends, and colleagues in attendance at Unity Funeral Chapel in New York City.

Greene, a well-known fashion aficionado who died at 74 on Dec. 2, was a model and stylist, Mr. Black New York 1978-79. He was honored with hymns “How Great Thou Art” and “It is Well with My Soul” and received the religious ritual by the Rev. Lee Arrington. He was remembered as a dear friend by Lorna Welshman-Neblett.

“Walter was talented, respectful, and very witty. He knew everyone and was always willing to introduce you to anyone who was in your field. In addition to all his wonderful work in Fashion Shows, Pageants, and writing for magazines, Walter was the designer of the Shirt Jack for the late President of Guyana, Forbes Burnham, who was the Prime Minister at the time. This was a big hit and eventually became the national dress for men in Guyana and throughout the Caribbean,” said Welshman-Neblett.

“Walter conducted the Mustard Seed Communications Annual Fashion Show and luncheon each year at the Hilton Hotel in Manhattan, where I had the privilege of working backstage, getting the models dressed for the runway. He made it known to all the models that “you are volunteering for this worthy cause for the children in an orphanage in Jamaica. That was his way of saying ‘you are not getting paid,'” said Welshman-Neblett.

“Over the last year, I have had two surgeries, and there wasn’t a week he didn’t call to see how I was doing. If he didn’t get me on the phone, he would leave a humorous message, “Don’t tell me you’ve gone to another funeral.” Now I am at Walter’s funeral,” said Neblett, president of Health Education Relief Organization for Cancer, (H.E.R.O.C.).

The Old Testament Lesson of Isaiah 61:1-3 by Carol Archer honored Greene, who grew up in Georgetown before migrating to the United States in the70s. Inspired by his mother and aunt, who were seamstresses, the talented maven was fascinated by fabric and textiles, according to his obituary.

He later became a fashion designer and, ultimately, a popular fashion writer. He was a fixture at the Jamaican, Caribbean, Trinidad, and Barbados Fashion Week events and Seventh on Sixth fashion shows. His articles on various topics were featured in Carib News, Financial Times (Canada), Visions in Black, Sister to Sister, Profile, Odyssey, Ebony Man, Black Enterprise, and Caribbean Escape, among others.

Award-winning fashion designer Roger Gary remembered the wonderful times he spent with Greene, whom he fondly called Brugamah!
“Walter and I met at the Miss Guyana New York pageant at Brooklyn College in 1992. He was the emcee of the show, and I was the designer for two of the contestants. Our friendship was easy, I guess, because of our Guyanese/Caribbean heritage and our love of fashion.”

“The years following, we did many shows and events together in New York, Guyana, and all over the Caribbean. He also coordinated my first fashion showcase during New York Fashion Week 1996. He was one of my biggest cheerleaders and often featured me in the publications he wrote for NY Carib News, BE, and Sister2Sister magazines,” said Gary.

“He had the talent of putting the right people together and spent a lot of time gathering all the details of those he featured on his glossy pages. He made a special effort to find-out the names of the models and others to add in the captions in his articles. His special style of writing would often make the people that he wrote about feel extra special,” said Gary.

“My most joyous moment with Walter (and I’ve had many) was at New York Fashion Week in Bryant Park.
“We were at the check-in area of a high-profile designer’s show (we all know the drama that comes with that). Walter: Hi, I’m Walter Greene, NY Carib News. Check-in person: I don’t have you on my list, but I can give you “standing.”  “I heard a loud gasp from Walter while he “grabbed his pearls,” Walter loudly proclaimed in an Andre Leon Tally voice. Walter Greene does not stand.”

“Well, my friend, you have certainly done your work and earned your seat in the front row. Rest in peace, Brugamah!!” Gary said.

According to Terry Donovan, “Greene had a rare gift—a discerning eye for talent and an unwavering belief in the power of diverse perspectives. He was one of the few who truly understood the importance of showcasing designers of color, especially those from the Caribbean, who often found themselves absent from mainstream media outlets. Through his work, he brought attention to their artistry, ensuring they had the platform they deserved,” he said.

“I first met Walter in 1992 when I invited him to serve as a judge for the Miss World BVI Pageant, the Official Preliminary to the Miss World competition for the British Virgin Islands. He immediately fell in love with the beauty and culture of the BVI and wrote several articles about our queens, shining a spotlight on our islands. A few years later, I invited him back to judge the Miss BVI Pageant. Walter had the ability to connect with people, nurturing lifelong friendships that many of us cherish to this day,” said Donovan, founder and CEO of the BVI Summer Sizzle fashion extravaganza.

Green, a consultant, author, and entrepreneur, was credited for his charitable endeavors and commitment to supporting his community. He participated in or judged scores of fashion shows worldwide and supported the black community in the industry because he believed that they had a style of their own that was overlooked by the mainstream media. Someone else now must take up the mantle, according to his family.

Greene, who was born to Ivy and Winslow Greene (deceased), was the last of five sons, Cedric, Rickford, Richard, and Winston (all deceased) received the Lord’s Prayer & Psalms 23 before final disposition at Rosehill Crematory in New Jersey.