Barrett Gates Greenlee
Barrett Gates Greenlee, 79, of Scenery Hill, formerly of Bentleyville, passed away peacefully Monday, January 8, 2018, in UPMC-Mercy hospital, Pittsburgh, surrounded by family, following a brief illness.
He was born April 14, 1938, in Washington, a son of the late John Bentley Greenlee and Mary Gates Greenlee.
Mr. Greenlee was a 1956 graduate of Bentleyville High School. He was also a graduate of Allegheny College, where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, and Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science.
For the past 57 years, he proudly served the local communities as a funeral director, and with his father, John B. Greenlee, and his brother, Gordon B. Greenlee, owned funeral homes located in Beallsville, Bentleyville and Fredericktown.
Mr. Greenlee was honored by organizations within the communities he served on numerous occasions over the years, including the former Deemston Grange, which named him and his brother Men of the Year; the Bentworth community, which asked him and his wife to serve as Grand Marshalls of the Bentleyville Halloween Parade; and Friends of Bentleyville Library, which presented its 2014 Citizens of the Year Award to him and his wife.
He served in the U.S. Air Force as a medic during the Vietnam War.
Mr. Greenlee was a 44-year, active member of Bentleyville Lions Club, which honored him with its Melvin Jones Fellowship; Bentleyville American Legion Post 165; Bentleyville Historical Society; Croatian Fraternal Union of America; National Funeral Directors Association; Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Association, which recognized him as a 50-year member for his dedication to funeral service; and Southwestern Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Association. He was a 50-year member of Beallsville Lodge 237, F&AM, and a member of Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Valley of Pittsburgh, Syria Shrine, Washington – Greene Caravan 2, Tall Cedars of Lebanon and Nemacolin Country Club.
Mr. Greenlee was a lifelong member of Bentleyville United Methodist Church and served on its Pastoral Relations Committee.
He loved his profession, which allowed him to help people during very difficult times in their lives, the communities in which he was born and raised and, most of all, he loved spending time with his family.
Surviving are his loving wife, Sara Perri Greenlee; two daughters, Paige A. Greenlee of Tampa, Fla., and Robyn Bracco of Ben Avon; a sister, Mary Jane Greenlee Sertik (Thomas) of McMurray; three grandchildren, Noah, Mary and Felicity Bracco; three nephews, John B. Greenlee of Fredericktown, Darren Sertik of Boulder, Colo., and Chad Barrett Sertik of McMurray; and his mother-in-law, Jessie Perri of Washington.
Deceased, in addition to his parents, are a brother, Gordon B. Greenlee, and a son-in-law, Nicholas Bracco.
Friends will be received from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday and 2 to 9 p.m. Friday in Greenlee Funeral Home, 619 Main Street, Bentleyville. Friends are asked to gather for a Mass of Christian Burial at noon Saturday, January 13, in St. Katharine Drexel Parish, Bentleyville campus, 126 Church Street, Bentleyville, PA 15314, with the Rev. Edward L. Yuhas, administrator, Pastor Barbara Bailey and the Rev. Andy Scott officiating. Interment will follow in Beallsville Cemetery, with military rites accorded graveside by American Legion Post 165, Bentleyville, American Legion Hancock-McCune-Horne Post 705, Centerville, and American Legion Hanson-Cole Post 391, Fredericktown. Beallsville Lodge 237, F&AM, will conduct services at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the funeral home, followed at 8 p.m. by a Lions Club service.
Memorial contributions may be made to Bentleyville Community Center Building Fund, 931 Main Street, Bentleyville, PA 15314, or to Bentleyville United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 183, Bentleyville, PA 15314.
A guest book and personal condolences may be accessed at www.GreenleeFuneralHome.com.