Obituary for Milton Joseph Greif
Milton Joseph “Bud” Greif, born September 24, 1930, in Salem, New Jersey, to the late Arnon Charles Greif and Ellen W. (Stetser) Greif, passed away peacefully on May 15, 2022, in Tyler, Texas.
Bud passed at the age of 91 years, seven months, 22 days, and only nine days short of a perfect 2000 months above the grass. He graduated from Washington High School in Warren County, New Jersey. After high school, he attended preparatory school at The Pennington School in Pennington, New Jersey, a place founded on the principles of “the education of the physical, the training of the mental, and the grounding of the soul in character.” Here, the foundation of his character was built as he embodied these traits his entire life. After preparatory school, he was employed by his father on their one-acre farm, tending and caring for 3000 laying hens for marketable eggs. Bud enlisted in the United States Navy and served from 1950 until his honorable discharge in 1954. He obtained the rank of ET3 serving on the USS Stockham and received both the National Defense Service and Good Conduct Medals. Bud was a champion wrestler throughout high school and during his time in the Navy, and he also played football and baseball.
Bud married Nancy Jean Mannon on September 1, 1956, by Reverend Dunbar at the Flemington Baptist Church in Flemington, New Jersey. He worked as an electrical engineer for several companies, including York Research in Putnam, Connecticut, Light Electric in Newark, New Jersey, HiTran Corporation in Flemington, New Jersey, Westinghouse Electric Corporation, and, at the age of 63, Northrop Grumman Corporation. In the 16 years he was employed with the Northrop Grumman Corporation, he helped develop 32 patents. One of those patents was developing a low-frequency radar transfer to save weight for F-16 fighter pilots to be able to target submarines on the ocean floor. Previously, the transformer was so heavy that it could only fly in large, heavy, and slow AWACS aircraft- an easy target for missiles that placed crew members in perilous danger. Being a designer with the Northrop Grumman Corporation Electronic Sensors and Systems Division in Baltimore was one of his proudest achievements. Over four years, this division was responsible for upgrading the radar systems on 28 Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft (his focus was the Wedgetail). NATO, the United Kingdom, and the U.S Northrop Grumman officials said, “The so-called Radar System Improvement Program - better known as RSIP was to be the most significant upgrade to AWACS since its development in the early 1970s.” Bud received several “anonymous” awards and patents with NGC until his retirement at the age of 80 in May 2010.
In June 2016, he and his wife moved to Tyler, Texas, closer to children and grandchildren. He was a bird watcher, a world traveler, enjoyed camping, and was a whittler of birds and Santas. Bud was a member of the Rotary Club, a Boy Scout Leader, a Pop Warner Football Coach, a deacon, and appointed as a Ruling Elder in 1968.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Survivors include his wife of 65 years, Nancy Greif of Tyler; children, Lisa Foster and spouse Jack of Chandler, Brian Greif and spouse Linda of Texas City, Peter Greif and spouse Cheryl Greif of Frisco; brother, Arnon Carleton Greif and wife Peggy Hill of Ithaca, New York; 11 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider making donations to the PAN Foundation, providing life-saving treatment for those who need it most. Please visit www.panfoundation.org to contribute.
Funeral arrangements were entrusted to the Chandler Memorial Funeral Home family.
Bud passed at the age of 91 years, seven months, 22 days, and only nine days short of a perfect 2000 months above the grass. He graduated from Washington High School in Warren County, New Jersey. After high school, he attended preparatory school at The Pennington School in Pennington, New Jersey, a place founded on the principles of “the education of the physical, the training of the mental, and the grounding of the soul in character.” Here, the foundation of his character was built as he embodied these traits his entire life. After preparatory school, he was employed by his father on their one-acre farm, tending and caring for 3000 laying hens for marketable eggs. Bud enlisted in the United States Navy and served from 1950 until his honorable discharge in 1954. He obtained the rank of ET3 serving on the USS Stockham and received both the National Defense Service and Good Conduct Medals. Bud was a champion wrestler throughout high school and during his time in the Navy, and he also played football and baseball.
Bud married Nancy Jean Mannon on September 1, 1956, by Reverend Dunbar at the Flemington Baptist Church in Flemington, New Jersey. He worked as an electrical engineer for several companies, including York Research in Putnam, Connecticut, Light Electric in Newark, New Jersey, HiTran Corporation in Flemington, New Jersey, Westinghouse Electric Corporation, and, at the age of 63, Northrop Grumman Corporation. In the 16 years he was employed with the Northrop Grumman Corporation, he helped develop 32 patents. One of those patents was developing a low-frequency radar transfer to save weight for F-16 fighter pilots to be able to target submarines on the ocean floor. Previously, the transformer was so heavy that it could only fly in large, heavy, and slow AWACS aircraft- an easy target for missiles that placed crew members in perilous danger. Being a designer with the Northrop Grumman Corporation Electronic Sensors and Systems Division in Baltimore was one of his proudest achievements. Over four years, this division was responsible for upgrading the radar systems on 28 Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft (his focus was the Wedgetail). NATO, the United Kingdom, and the U.S Northrop Grumman officials said, “The so-called Radar System Improvement Program - better known as RSIP was to be the most significant upgrade to AWACS since its development in the early 1970s.” Bud received several “anonymous” awards and patents with NGC until his retirement at the age of 80 in May 2010.
In June 2016, he and his wife moved to Tyler, Texas, closer to children and grandchildren. He was a bird watcher, a world traveler, enjoyed camping, and was a whittler of birds and Santas. Bud was a member of the Rotary Club, a Boy Scout Leader, a Pop Warner Football Coach, a deacon, and appointed as a Ruling Elder in 1968.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Survivors include his wife of 65 years, Nancy Greif of Tyler; children, Lisa Foster and spouse Jack of Chandler, Brian Greif and spouse Linda of Texas City, Peter Greif and spouse Cheryl Greif of Frisco; brother, Arnon Carleton Greif and wife Peggy Hill of Ithaca, New York; 11 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider making donations to the PAN Foundation, providing life-saving treatment for those who need it most. Please visit www.panfoundation.org to contribute.
Funeral arrangements were entrusted to the Chandler Memorial Funeral Home family.