Evelyn N. Hudson Green

Evelyn N. Hudson Green November 7, 1919 to April 19, 2021

Evelyn N. Hudson Green was born in Georgia November 7, 1919 to Wallace and Ethel Evans Hudson. Granddaughter of Ella and Benjamin Hudson Sr. and granddaughter of Gus Evans and Mary Victoria Mathews Evans, Evelyn was the youngest of four children. Her siblings were Milton, Ella Victoria, and Annie Hudson. When she was two years old, the family moved to south Trenton, New Jersey. Her father worked on the railroad and for Roebling Steel. He was also an entrepreneur, who owned a rooming house and bail bonding operation. Evelyn’s mother was a homemaker who also took evening classes and worked in homes of wealthy families to save money for her children's education. Evelyn inherited a devotion to both formal and informal education from her mother and an appreciation for the value of a dollar from her father.

From 1925 to 1934, Evelyn attended New Lincoln School in Trenton, where she skipped seventh grade. She graduated Trenton Central High School in 1937 at a time when some privileged white industrialists' children were driven to the school in limousines; while institutional racism discouraged colored children from academic achievement. 

In her youth, Evelyn was an outstanding swimmer, diver and track athlete. She was a counselor at a summer camp run by the family of former U.S. House Representative Frank Thompson. Evelyn was active in Grant Chapel African Methodist Church where her mother was very much involved. She enjoyed church picnics in Crosswicks, New Jersey and other Grant Chapel socials. As the straight A's in geography recorded on her eighth grade New Lincoln report card attest, Evelyn enjoyed studying geography. Later in life, she lamented that geography courses had been taken out of school curricula.

Evelyn earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education from then New Jersey State Teachers College in 1941 along with Vera Williams who was her life-long friend. She returned to the college, which had become Trenton State College, to earn a Master of Arts in Student Personnel Services in 1976. 

Following World War II, Evelyn served in the American Red Cross. After she trained in Washington, D.C., her assignments included work in Yokohama, Okinawa, and Gifu Japan. As a program director at Club San Juan, she organized recreational and educational programs for American military officers, their families, and Japanese orphans.

Though almost all of Evelyn's professional years were spent teaching in Trenton public schools, she taught fourth through seventh grades in the Leonardtown, Maryland school district from 1941 to 1943. Evelyn worked in the Trenton school district from 1949 and retired in 1992. She taught second grade most of the years but also taught other grades, was guidance counselor and held several leadership positions within the district. She was a part of the elementary staff at Junior High School Number Five. Grant Elementary School and Patton J. Hill Elementary School are also among the schools where she worked.

The Middle School Acceleration and Enrichment Program for Gifted and Talented Youths in an Urban District and the Rider College School of Education Practicum in Education at Grant School are among programs of which Evelyn was a part. She was also a lead teacher in the Trenton Public Schools Follow Through Program. After retiring from Trenton's public school district, she served on the board of the East Trenton Day Care Center.

Evelyn developed close bonds with her students. Some of her happiest moments were when she saw former pupils in the community and talked about what they had been doing since leaving her classroom. Evelyn's love of teaching extended to helping college students prepare to teach. She also mentored new teachers.

Evelyn was a strong believer in the fundamentals--reading, writing, and arithmetic, but she would not miss an opportunity to explain the importance of voting or "putting your best foot forward.”

The educator was a life-long student herself. As a non-matriculating student, she studied real estate in the 1950s at then Rider College in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. She took countless courses and workshops. Notable is a 1950's Rutgers University workshop on community leadership in New Brunswick. The man who became her husband would drive from Trenton to the workshop to visit, and love blossomed.

Throughout their 30 years of marriage, Evelyn and husband Herman Owen Green raised five children in their home on West State Street. In addition to involving their children in Jack and Jill of America activities, they engaged them in non-stop cultural, educational, and recreational pursuits.They were "hands-on, sleeves rolled up" parents with each of their children--available for all the happy times and not so happy times.

Throughout the years, Evelyn played in duplicate and social bridge clubs. Her scores were often included in the Trenton Times "Bridge Corner" column. Evelyn was a member of the Maids and Matrons Club, which began presenting an annual debutante cotillion ball for local girls in 1951. She also held a lifetime membership in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Evelyn carried herself with elegance and grace and was regarded as a role model. She had an adventurous spirit, a quick wit, and a questioning mind. She was a courageous trailblazer, who relished lively exchanges of ideas and enjoyed listening to and telling funny stories.

Evelyn lived a healthy, fit lifestyle. A lesson passed down from her mother, she was adamant about healthy eating habits for her family; however, she also made the best fried chicken, grits, potato salad, and pork roll. She was an avid walker -- usually leading the pack. She enjoyed strolling the Jersey shore boardwalks, vacation spot scenes, and a forested path near her house. She loved animals, especially dogs.

Throughout her life, Evelyn relished many invaluable and long-lasting friendships. She knew how to make everyone feel at home. She was a trusted confidante who gave blunt, well thought-out guidance to many who relied on her presence of mind. She believed in celebrating life’s special moments and milestones but had the fortitude to navigate herself and those close to her through pain and heartache.

Evelyn was generous to her family, friends, and many causes. She was an active member of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Trenton under the leadership of The Very Reverend René R. John.

She was loved like no other by those who knew her best.

Evelyn was predeceased by her dear husband Herman Owen Green and beloved daughter Charlotte Ann Green. She leaves to carry on her memory her children, Lynn Suzette Price, Esq., Karen Green Alexander, Della Green, as well as Herman Scott and wife Carol Green; grandchildren, Samantha Green, Katherine Summerlynn Powell, Margaux Powell, and Spencer Green; nieces and nephews, Sondra Henry, Linda Phillips, Elkins Green, and Virginia Adams; grandnieces and grandnephews, Wayne Brown, Kevin Brown, Michael Phillips, LaShonne Phillips-Crowell, David Phillips, Charla Hill, Vicki Gonzalez, Yvonne Adams, Tina Adams-Salter, Gabrielle Urquhart-Webster, Scott Allan Larkins, Elkins Quinton Larkins, Harold Adams, Travis Harrell, Gwendolyn Richardson, Lori Adams-Durham, Alison Pryor, Alvina Hallet, Vicki Adams, Joan Snow, Bill Morgan Jr., Osceola Adams, Windom Green IV, Randall McKinzey, and Carlos Hill, Jr.; and among her surviving long-time friends are Vera Williams, Gwendolyn Pearson, Comfort Sparks, Julie Thomas, Elsie Collins and Juanita Faulkner.

The funeral will be held on Tuesday April 27, 2021 at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, 801 West State Street Trenton, NJ. The viewing will be held from 4:00 PM until 6:00 PM. The funeral service will be at 6:00 PM. The interment will be on Wednesday, April 28, 2021 at 10:00am at Greenwood Cemetery (Veteren’s Section), 1800 Hamilton Avenue. Funeral Services under the direction of Hughes Funeral Home, LLC. 

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