Chief Wilfred “Eagle Heart” Greene died at home surrounded by his family in Warwick last Thursday morning after a brief illness. Born in June of 1937, he was the husband of the late Germaine “Blue Dove” Greene and made his home in Warwick. He was 78.

Formerly a South Providence native, Willie was known as “Wild Willie Greene,” a free-swinging middleweight who became known internationally for his Burt Reynolds looks and gladiatorial prowess.

He delivered 30 wins (20 were knockouts) in his career and fought two world class matches, defeating former world welterweight champion Johnny Saxton and then in 1961 against World Champion Terry Downs at England’s Wembley Stadium in front of 90,000 people.

Author and Historian Laureate Patrick T. Conley, who often traveled alongside Willie in the early years, notes that “Willie Greene was a versatile South Providence athlete who excelled in track, swimming and diving, softball, football, and boxing.” Conley has also called him “the Jim Thorpe of Rhode Island.”

In his younger years, Willie was known for getting “more ink than the Governor” in the Providence Journal. His career as a boxer started on March 31, 1958 and continued into 1963.

In later years, Willie took up a quest for public recognition of the many contributions Native Americans have made to Rhode Island and the United States. He also stressed humane and dignified treatment for all people regardless of their ancestry. A New England Indian activist, Wilfred was formerly the Supreme Chief of the Seaconkes in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Slow Turtle (John Peters) Supreme medicine man of the Wampanoag Indian Nation and the first and only executive director of the Massachusetts Commission on Indian Affairs met, with Wilfred many times and declared that the Watuppa Reservation in nearby Fall River, Massachusetts rightly belonged to the Seaconke Wampanoags.

For many years Willie sought Federal Recognition of his Seaconke Wampanoag Tribe of Rhode Island. The Seaconkes are descendents of the tribe of Ousamequin (aka Massasoit, the tribe who met the Pilgrims, the tribe who welcomed Roger Williams and whose headquarters were in Pokanoket, which is present day Montaup called Mount Hope, Rhode Island).

Willie was inducted into the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame and for over a decade served as a director. He was also instrumental in drawing attention to the contribution Indians made to the heritage of Rhode Island and succeeded in having them inducted as well, including the Wampanoag Chief Massasoit (Ousamequin), his legendary son the Massasoit Metacomet (King Phillip) and Narragansetts Canonicus and Miantonomi.

Chief Wilfred Greene led the tribe until his passing. One of his favorite sayings was, “You can’t stop progress or live in the past. Best we all move forward together.”

Included among the eulogies anticipated are:

Darrell Waldron: Executive Director of the Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey and Delaware Indian Councils. He is also chairperson of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Native American Economic Development Business Relations Committee, the Native American Employment and Training Council (Region I) and Advisory Board Member of the US Civil Rights Commission for Rhode Island.

Dr. Patrick T. Conley: (author, Rhode Island Historian Laureate and president of the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame. Dr. Conley was also a long time close friend of Willie from early on.

Chief Greene leaves his children, Susan Ruxton, Rhoda Skroupa, Desiree Perry, Erin Morrison, Stacia Buccini, Wilfred Greene III and John Greene, 18 grandchildren and 37 great-grandchildren.

Viewing will be on Saturday, February 27 from 8 to 10 a.m. at Quinn Funeral Home, 2435 Warwick Avenue Warwick. The funeral will be that same day at Saint Rita’s Church, 722 Oakland Beach Ave, Warwick. He will be interred at St. Anne’s Cemetery in Cranston.