Charlene Adele Green

Charlene Adele Green passed away unexpectedly on Friday November 24, 2023 at her home in Las Vegas, Nevada. She was born on December 19, 1943 in Yonkers, New York to Charles and Catherine Lewis.

One of five siblings, Charlene grew up in a home surrounded by love. The family moved to Mount Vernon, New York where Charlene spent her formative years and graduated from A.B. Davis High School in 1961. Her lifelong dedication to learning and helping others was honed in the early years of her life in Mount Vernon. As the second oldest sibling, there was always work to be done or a sibling that needed attention. Family bonds and love were treasures that Charlene would carry throughout her life.

The first of many milestones Charlene would accomplish in her life was that of being the first college graduate in the family. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education and Teaching Special Education from Central State University. During her college years, she pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA), and she remained active in the sorority for most of her life. Charlene began her career as a teacher in Mount Vernon, and went on later to earn her Masters Degree in Education Administration from Butler University in Indiana. Charlene lived her life to the fullest and never forgot that God was in control. She was a proud Christian woman with an unwavering faith, and as such was ordained as a minister at St. Paul's AME Church in Indianapolis.

Throughout her 40-plus year career as an educator, Charlene strived to provide every student, no matter their special needs, with the best education possible. She served as a teacher, Special education Director, and Senior Administrator in districts across the country including Indianapolis, Chicago, and Clark County Public Schools in Las Vegas. As Deputy Superintendant in Clark County, Charlene led the Student Support Services Division dedicated to students with disabilities, gifted students, English Language Learners, Equity and Diversity Education Department, and Title 1 Students. She has served as a consultant for several urban districts including Baltimore City Public Schools, New Haven Public Schools, and the Los Angeles United School District. She was active with a number of special education organizations, including The Council of Exceptional Children, as well as the Council for Administrators in Special Education. She also testified before the U.S. Senate on the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Act.

Charlene is survived by her sister, Nicole Lewis, of Las Vegas, nieces Kelli McGruder, Dana Dubose of Las Vegas, and Morgan Kirk of California; nephews John Lewis of California, Peter Che Lewis and Robert Hawkins of New York, and Brandon Lewis of Las Vegas; cousins Wendy Jones of New York, Michele Jeffery of New Jersey, Robin Fletcher of Las Vegas, Cris Marvin of Florida, and Barry Love of Georgia, as well as great nieces and nephews and a host of friends and co-workers.

Charlene was preceded in death by her mother and father, Charles and Catherine Lewis, her brothers, Charles Clifford Lewis and Franklin “Peter” Parker Lewis and her sister, Elsie Jeffries.