A tribute to alumna Dr Christine Mary Green
A beloved wife, mother and grandmother, and an outstanding academic. Chris shone brightly at Sheffield (BSc Chemistry, 1967), as well as at various other illustrious institutions after settling in the USA.
Born on 5 September 1946 to Esme and Douglas Bell, Dr Christine (Chris) Green grew up with her younger sister Elizabeth (Lis) in the small village of Newburgh, in the north of England.
Douglas was the village vicar, which brought the family both prominence and a degree of scrutiny within village life - Chris described once riding home on the back of a boy's motorbike, only to find that her mother knew about it before she arrived home!
Growing up in the vicarage routinely meant a home full of guests, and Chris also willingly played her part in family duties by visiting the elderly and infirm of the village.
A bright light in academia
Academia was always a personal strength of Chris's, who dedicated herself to achieving academic success from as early as secondary school. Against her parents' wishes - and the customs of the time for women - she insisted on going to university to study chemistry, choosing Sheffield. Chris was one of only 12 women to receive her BSc Chemistry from the University in 1967, graduating with high honors.
It was as a student at Sheffield that Chris met her future husband, alumnus Dr Michael (Mike) Green, who she married in December 1968 at her father's church in Newburgh. The couple subsequently decided to move to the USA, where their daughters Lisa and Victoria were born.
Early career success overseas
Chris was an early feminist, determined to have a professional career as well as a family. After relocating to the USA with Mike, she achieved her PhD in Biochemistry in 1979 from Rutger's University, studying enzymes involved in antibiotic resistance. She then conducted post-doctoral fellowships at the Medical School of Rutger's, as well as with the American Cyanamid company.
She subsequently joined FMC Crop Research in Princeton, where she ran biology for a project to increase the yield of oil from soybeans by delaying their senescence. Always a wiz at mathematics, Chris later expanded her expertise to include statistics, and turned to a second career in market research analysis. She ran her own business, C&M Market Research, full-time from 1994 until the early 2010s.
In 1994 Chris and Mike moved to California, first to Encinitas and later to her beloved Half Moon Bay. It was in the latter that she truly felt she'd "found her people", donating time and energy to support the American Association of University Women (AAUW), Holy Family Episcopal Church, and San Mateo County Genealogical Society.
A passion for genealogy
Genealogy quickly became her real passion, and a third career: Chris was President of the Society for five years, and Chair of the Seminar Program for longer still. There was nothing she enjoyed more than getting the best and most renowned speakers for these twice-yearly, all-day events, which regularly attracted over 130 attendees.
She embraced the use of DNA for solving genealogy puzzles and became a highly sought-after speaker, giving lectures at local societies and teaching at adult schools in Mountain View and Palo Alto. Even in later life, when struggling to walk short distances, Chris's idea of the perfect vacation was to travel to Salt Lake City or London to pore over archives.
She holds a Professional Learning Certificate in Genealogical Studies from the University of Toronto, with concentrations in Methodology and English and American Records. She is a graduate of ProGen, and both the Institute of Genealogical and Historical Research at Stamford and the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy.
Balancing family and professional life
Chris was a grandmother to five grandchildren, and a great-grandmother of one. She always maintained a passion for learning and growing, even taking German classes to help with her visits to grandchildren overseas. She had numerous nieces and nephews spread across England, Europe, the USA and New Zealand, with whom she maintained ties throughout her life.
Renowned for her strength of character, Chris was noted for always staying true to who she was. She successfully integrated professional and personal life as a woman, as well as carrying on her parents' values of advocating for important Christian and social causes.
Both Chris and Mike have been generous supporters of students at their alma mater over a number of years. Alongside multiple gifts to the University's Alumni Fund, they kindly chose to provide a number of undergraduate scholarships, helping students at risk of financial struggles to reach their full potential at Sheffield.
Chris sadly passed away from a neurodegenerative disease on 8 February 2025, at the age of 78. In her memory, Mike has chosen to make two further generous gifts to their university. These will create the Dr Christine Green Scholarship, providing further financial assistance for a new generation of undergraduates, as well as supporting the research of Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN) into neurodegenerative illness.
The University extends its sincerest condolences to Chris's family and many friends. The kindness both Chris and Mike have shown to Sheffield students is making a real difference for bright young people aiming to follow in Chris's footsteps - we are immensely grateful for their support.