Nicholas John Greten III, 69, of Estero, Florida, passed away Dec. 20, 2017. Formerly of Grand Island, he had been an Estero resident since 2004. He was born April 19, 1948, in Staten Island, the son of Lucinda Alma (née Gutschmidt) and Nicholas John Greten Jr.
A graduate of Buffalo State, he was a lifelong athlete and sports enthusiast. He was an accomplished high school baseball player and played competitive ice hockey well into his 50s. He also officiated high school girls basketball, mixed many good golf shots in with his bad ones, and was a devoted Buffalo Sabres, Buffalo Bills, and Florida Everblades fan. As an industrial arts teacher, he improved the lives of thousands of Buffalo students and hundreds of Buffalo teachers. He spent his summers with his family, camping, fishing, shelling, and dodging piping plovers in Cape Hatteras. In retirement, he enjoyed exploring southern Florida, and cruising with Mom around the Caribbean.
Perhaps most importantly, he spent his 69 years making friends with virtually everyone he met, helping wherever he could through charitable work, sound advice, or lending his very able hands. At every turn, he made sure his wife, daughters and son knew how much they meant to him. His greatest joy was seeing his six grandchildren grow into the best people they could be.
Nicholas is survived by his loving wife of 48 years, Elizabeth A. (née Schafer) Greten; his beloved children, Timothy A. (Erin) Greten of Vienna, Virginia, Jenna G. (Steven) Deveau of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, and Melissa Y. (Jeffery) Owens of Bristow, Virginia; his sister, Joanne (the late Richard) Carlsen of Somerset, New Jersey; and six cherished grandchildren, Annika, Kristjana, Logan, Lorelei, Anastasia and Zachary.
A memorial service was held Dec. 27 at Shikany's Bonita Funeral Home in Bonita Springs, Florida.
