Billy Joe "Jody" Green

Billy Joe “Jody” Green was born Oct. 28, 1938 at the Oklahoma Baptist Hospital in Muskogee, Oklahoma, to Louis Green and Velma Cowan Green. He passed from this life on Jan. 28, 2025 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Raised in Muskogee, he attended Elm Grove schools through the eighth grade, and graduated from Oktaha High School. He attended Connors State College, graduating with a degree in general education. While in college, he met Roberta Hayes at a bowling alley and they were married in 1958. They had one daughter, Jeannie, before moving their small family to California where Jody worked separating the sweet from the unsweet grapes at the Italian Swiss Colony Winery. While in California, he later worked at Lockheed Martin inspecting the astronaut quarters for the Apollo missions. In 1962, the couple welcomed twin boys, Greg and Gary. They divorced in 1972 and Jody moved home to Muskogee where he raised his three children as a single father. During this time, he spent days driving a Wonder Bread route and his nights unloading cars for dealerships. He later accepted a position at Safeway where he was soon promoted to warehouse supervisor. In 1973 he met Artie “Gray” Garcia at a laundromat, where his mother, Velma, got her phone number. Jody called and they were married six months later. The marriage combined Jody’s three children with Artie’s two children, Donna and David, to give them one daughter at 14 years old, one daughter at 12 years old and three boys, all ten years old. Their lives were full of church, music, children’s events and family time. Jody and Artie were married for 46 years, until her death in 2015. Once the children were grown, Jody and Artie lived in Wagoner, Oklahoma, for 11 years, where he worked for Safeway until the company closed. During this time, they gained guardianship of two of their young grandsons, Jarred and Allen Garcia, whom they raised. Following the closure of Safeway, Jody began working for Johnson Foods in the warehouse, before being promoted to Safety Manager. He remembered his time at Johnson’s as one of his most rewarding employment experiences. In 2018, he met Leta Williams, whom he loved and shared his life with for seven years until his death. Jody’s life was filled with family, friends, church, travel and a love of sharing the gospel through music. He performed throughout the country with his sister, Cookie Eller, in the band Crystal River and in later years, performed each Friday and Saturday night at the Plumb Theater in Longtown, Oklahoma As a vocalist, musician and entertainer, his life-time devotion to music was recognized when he was inducted into America’s Old Time Country Music Hall of Fame in 2009. Jody is preceded in death by his parents, Louis and Velma Green, his wife, Artie Green, and two sons, David Garcia and Gregory Green. His infectious personality and love for others left many to cherish his memory, including his daughter, Jeannie Lee, and husband Mark, of Muskogee, daughter Donna Hazlitt of Ft. Gibson, son Gary Green and wife Anna Marie, of Grove, daughter-in-law Felicia Hall of Houston, Texas; grandchildren Ami Maddocks, Melissa Dotson and husband Barry, Katrina Francher Bergmann and wife Amanda, Zack Lee and wife Jackie, Kyle Green and wife McLane Moody, Nathan Green and wife Gabrielle, Alex Green, Jarred Garcia and wife Meg, Allen Garcia, Rachel Hazlitt, David Hazlitt, Joseph Cullor, Steven Cullor and Spencer Green; great-grandchildren Seth Dotson and wife Jordan, Allison Maddocks, Hailey Dotson, Caleb Dotson and wife Maddy, Addilyn Lee, Emersyn Lee, Mirai Garcia, Everest Garcia, and Henry Green; great-great grandchild Ashton Maina; sister Yvonne “Cookie” Eller, girlfriend Leta Williams, and numerous other family and friends. All are invited to attend a celebration of life service on Sat., Feb. 15, 2025, at 10:30 a.m., at First Baptist Church in Muskogee, Oklahoma.

Billy Joe "Jody" Green

October 28, 1938 - January 28, 2025