Obituary: Father Malcolm Blake Greenlee, 86, of Wilton

Information and Photo Courtesy Bouton Funeral Home

WILTON, CT —Father Malcolm Blake Greenlee, 86, of Wilton died peacefully on April 7 at home surrounded by family.

Blake is survived by his son Dr. Paul Greenlee of Wilton, his 4 grandsons Sergei, Alexei, Egor and Jeremy, his son-in- law Norman Haug, brother and sister- in- law Dr. John and Anabel Greenlee of Salt Lake City, nieces and nephew. He was predeceased by his sister, Margaret (Midge) Greenlee, daughter Joyce Greenlee-Haug and wife of 64 years Dorothy Richmond Greenlee.

Blake was born in Mercedes, Texas on August 20, 1932 to Walden Gillespie Greenlee and Nelle Whitehead Greenlee. He spent his early years in Mercedes, Texas and then in LaGrange, Illinois where the family moved when he was 9. In LaGrange while attending Lyons Township High School he met and fell in love with Dorothy.

He began studies at Purdue University in Indiana but then left school to join the Marines, in the midst of the Korean War. He and Dorothy were married on December 7th 1952, just before he went to Korea. Following his military service he returned to Purdue graduating in 1956 with a B.S. in physics. At Purdue he was a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity.

After college, Blake worked as an engineer at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab where he developed navigation and guidance systems for the Polaris missile. After receiving an MBA from George Washington University in 1969, he went to work for MITRE Corporation in Boston and then in New York for Citibank where he helped design the first automated teller systems.

After leaving Citibank he started his own computer security firm and chaired national and international working groups developing standards for confidentiality, integrity and accountability for internet data communications.

While still working at Citibank, he completed divinity studies at the General Theological Seminary in New York and was ordained as a minister in the Episcopal church In April of 1983. He served at Saint Stephens in Ridgefield, St. Thomas in Bethel, Trinity in Trumbull and most recently St. Paul’s parish in Darien.

Blake led a full life and was a man of many interests. He was a skilled hunter and fly fisherman, an excellent marksman, a black belt in karate, a runner who completed several Marine Corps marathon, a very capable woodworker, a loyal friend and especially in his younger years a great source of humorous stories. He was a Boy Scout master, a member of the Izaak Walton League, the American Legion, Wilton Kiwanis and Stay at Home Wilton. He was fluent in Spanish and for a time ministered in Spanish- speaking congregations. He authored several books on computer security, and held several technical patents. In his spare time he was an avid reader and loved to play both the guitar and hammered dulcimer. His pet Basset Hounds were an integral (devoted and furry) part of his life for the last 64 years.

A graveside service is planned for 2 p.m. on Saturday May 25 at Hillside Cemetery 70 Ridgefield Rd. in Wilton Connecticut.

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions can be made to the National Wildlife Federation.