Celebration of Life Live Stream:
Events
The Celebration of Life will take place on Saturday, October 31, 2026 starting 11:00AM EST at the Howard University School of Law Dunbarton Chapel, located at 2900 Van Ness St, NW Washington, D.C. 20008. For those unable to attend the service in-person, you can participate remotely by viewing the live stream of the service (please scroll up to see the video).
Obituary
Marion Oliver “Duke” Greene, Jr. passed away peacefully on September 9, 2026, at Stoddard Baptist Nursing Home in Washington, DC. Born on June 11, 1937, in Athens, Georgia, he was the son of Viola Moore Greene and Marion Oliver Greene, Sr.
Duke grew up in Athens with a work ethic that took root before he was ten years old. He graduated from Athens High and Industrial School in 1956 and went on to earn a degree in mathematics from Morehouse College, where he was initiated into the Pi Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. in 1961.
In 1969, with just $500, Duke founded International Business Services, Inc. (IBS) from the basement of his home. What began as a modest consulting firm grew into one of the most successful high technology companies in the nation, generating annual sales exceeding $28 million and employing more than 600 people. IBS designed and installed the first computerized vessel tracking system for the U.S. Coast Guard, managed one of the Department of Labor’s largest computer facilities, and developed the Egyptian government’s automated social security program, among many other landmark achievements.
Duke’s entrepreneurial vision earned him recognition in Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, Business Week, and The Washington Post. In 1975, he became the first Black systems engineer to receive the National Award of Excellence from President Nixon. In 1985, the Washington Office of the Small Business Administration named him Small Businessperson of the Year, and Mayor Marion Barry proclaimed May 10 as “Marion O. ‘Duke’ Greene Day” in Washington, DC. He was also a founding partner of the Coca Cola Bottling Company of Philadelphia, which became the largest Black-owned business in the nation.
He was, in every sense, an original businessman, a pioneer who broke barriers, built opportunity, and inspired everyone who crossed his path.
Duke is survived by his sister, Agnes Green (Alicia); his children Rik Freeman (Margarita), Gloria Jones, Stephany Greene, and Brett Greene (Tiffini); his grandchildren Tawana Durham, Shaka Jones (Alexis), Sharday Jones, Nina Greene, Zoe Greene, and Tyler Speed; his niece, Ashley Green; his godson Mario Maddox; ten great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren; as well as a host of relatives and friends who loved him dearly.