Charles Greiner

Obituary for Charles Alfred Greiner III

Charles Alfred Greiner III completed the final chapter of his life on June 25, 2024. The end of his life was lived with the grace, courage and dignity that characterized all of his days. His was a life of achievement and dedication, not only to work but to family and community.

Charles was born October 14, 1942, the oldest of six children. He was the beloved son of Mary Purello Greiner, and the much loved brother of siblings Clinton, Everett, Dolores, Arlene and Dawn. Charles was talented, ambitious and adventurous. These qualities led him to Atlanta, Georgia, where he began his studies at Georgia Tech. Going to Tech was an audacious move, because he only had enough money to pay for one quarter tuition and board. Throughout his school career he worked part time jobs to support himself. He was incredibly proud of being a Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket and enjoyed attending alumni events throughout his life.

It was in Atlanta that Charles met the love of his life, Anita. They married in 1968 and raised three children, Charles IV born in 1974, Amy born in 1975, and James born in 1977. Through those years, Charles never lost sight of his career path. He obtained a position at the architectural firm of Heery & Heery and stayed there for fifteen years. After hours he would moonlight at jobs that were too small for his firm to handle. It was from this enterprising activity that he eventually built the firm Costing Services Group, Inc. in 1978. For forty years the firm would be a significant player in the booming Atlanta construction industry.

Charles's contribution to the city of Atlanta reached beyond his successful business. He became an anchor in the Atlanta community. He was a founding member of SAND, the South Atlanta Neighborhood Development. In 1973 he bought the Second Grant House for $1500. In 1975 he moved to Grant Park and became a member of the Association to Revive Grant Park. He served as President of that organization and as President of Neighborhood Planning Unit-W as well as President of Neighborhood Housing Services.

Charles was ambitious, enterprising and practical. But he was other things too. In 1982 he joined the Atlanta Meeting (Society of Friends) and was inspired by the other members of the Meeting.

It can be said that his activities in the Atlanta community were inspired as much by a spirit of public service as they were by his enterprising nature.

As an entrepreneur he saw his firm prosper under his leadership as CEO. During that time he continued expanding his expertise in the construction field. He earned a degree in Quantity Surveying from the University of Reading, UK. There he became a Certified Quantity Surveyor, a Member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, and was selected as a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.

While he was earning these credentialed in the UK, his professional credentials in the U.S. also grew. He became an Associate of the Association of Professional Engineers (ASPE) in Atlanta and was a Member of the Society of Value Engineers.

It would be easy to focus exclusively on Charles' objective achievements, but to do so would be to lose sight of his true character. He was charitable and kind. He worked tirelessly for political causes and candidates he believed in. He remembered those who had helped him when needed, and he gave generously to non-profit organizations throughout his life. Among his beneficiaries was St. Francis Hospital, in Roslyn, New York.

He remained loyal to friends he had made in his youth and in his years at Georgia Tech. Over the years he attended their weddings in Austria, England, and Turkey. He visited all of Western Europe, and traveled to his destinations on the Concord and the Queen Elizabeth 2. He was a man with many horizons and no sense of limitations.

Charles was a responsible, and loving husband, father, son and brother. He is survived by Anita, his wife of 56 years, his three children, Charles, Amy and James, his grandchildren Sonia, Eva, Ocie, Alex, Lily, Luke and Estelle, and by his siblings Clinton, Dolores and Arlene.

Even as we celebrate his life of great value, we also mourn his loss. All of us who love him will miss him.

There will be a visitation from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM on Thursday and Friday here at AS Turner Funeral Home. There will be a Graveside service on Saturday, June 29,2024 at Weastview Cemetery.