Sometimes on the Outer Banks we do have to report on sad news and that is the case tonight. Edward Greene, the founder of the Christmas Shop passed away on Monday at the age of 96.
It’s hard to overstate the impact Edward had on the Outer Banks.
He is certainly best known to most people for the Christmas Shop in Manteo, but his influence went far beyond that.
He first came to the Outer Banks in the early l950s, performing in The Lost Colony as a dancer and choreographer.
That first taste of Outer Banks life led to a lifelong love affair with the area.
He left The Lost Colony after a few years, although his heart always stayed with the show. Greene and Andy Griffith, who played Sir Walter Raleigh at the beginning of his career, became lifelong friends at that time.
Edward never forgot how much the show meant to him and how important it was. When he returned to the Outer Banks in 1967 to open the Christmas Shop, he also came back to be a mentor and role model to generations of Lost Colony actors.
The opening of the Christmas Shop contains an anecdote that says so much about Greene. According to the banker who loaned him the money, Edward didn’t have much of anything he needed, but he was so persuasive and confident that he got the loan.
And that was a springboard to so many other things.
Greene was one of the founding members, with author David Stick and Andy Griffith, of the Outer Banks Community Foundation, the local charity that is such a powerful force in supporting area nonprofits. He felt Manteo needed a bookstore and Manteo Booksellers came into existence. The store is now Downtown Books.
Those are just some of the many contributions he made to the community.
As a person he was a true joy to know, with a sharp wit and remarkable memory. To say he will be missed is an understatement.
The holiday season is wonderful on the Outer Banks. Stop by for a visit and discover how much marvelous it can be in a Brindley Beach Vacation Home.