Your Neighbor: Trice Greene

Neighborhood: Bay Isles Bayou
Neighbor since: 2004

Patrice “Trice” Greene thought she would spend retirement teaching adults to read.

But, on Longboat Key, adult illiteracy isn’t a problem. So, she walked into the Longboat Library in 2004 wanting to volunteer. Last May, she began a two-year term as president of the Longboat Library.

The library has at least three volunteers who were career librarians or media specialists. Greene isn’t one of them.

The Memphis, Tenn., native was a pediatric dentist for 23 years, 21 of which she spent in the U.S. Army. She lived around the world, in places such as Frankfurt, Germany, Egypt and Thailand, and has a binder filled with pictures of the young patients whose smiles she transformed.

“The children always taught me something,” she said.

After retiring, Greene and her husband, Buddy Herring, lived in Boca Grande but decided to move to Longboat Key because they were drawn to its cultural offerings.

Greene is excited about upcoming efforts at the Longboat Library. The nonprofit, all-volunteer organization will work on getting an endowment, and, next week, volunteers will meet with Sarasota County staffers who will teach them how to help patrons download e-books.

Library volunteers field a wide range of questions about everything from downloading materials on iPads to “How do I register to vote?”

“We can help them find where to go,” Greene said.

IN HER OWN WORDS: “The people come from all over the place, and they’re just a delight to serve.” — Trice Greene, on what she loves about the Longboat Library