Richard Greenway was a loving husband, grandfather, and friend of the community, serving as a lifelong volunteer firefighter. He loved supporting his family and was committed to attending as many family events as possible, whether it was someone’s personal achievement or one of his grandchildren’s sporting events.
In 2021, Richard was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and fought a strong battle until sadly passing in 2024.
His family transformed their grief into an act of honor, creating the annual Richard Greenway Golfing Tournament. Over the past three years, Richard’s family has been able to raise funds for pancreatic cancer research with the support of Project Purple.
What began as a way to remember a beloved family member has grown into a cherished community tradition, bringing friends, family, and supporters together in hope for early detection and finding a cure for pancreatic cancer.
Richard’s Lasting Love
Richard Greenway was a very caring and supportive person, especially towards his family. The way he showed his love was different than the way a lot of people did. “He wasn’t afraid to call you out and let you know what needed to be done,” his granddaughter Carissa told us, “But he did it in the best interest of ‘I want the best for you’. It was tough love.”
He attended every sporting event that he could for his grandchildren and loved having family around. Richard wasn’t just a grandfather to his grandchildren; he was like their friend.
It was important to Richard to make personal connections with each of his grandkids. All of them had their own inside jokes with him.
“He would say, ‘What day is it?’ and at first I would say, ‘It’s Wednesday,’ but then he would say, ‘No, it’s hump day!’. So it became our ongoing inside joke where I would automatically say ‘hump day’.”
Carissa describes Richard’s love for his wife, Lynne, as the kind of love you hope for. “You could tell he just genuinely loved her and loved all of us. He was a family man, he was well-known in the community, and he was a lifetime voluntary firefighter.”
A Strong Battle
When Richard was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in late August of 2021, he and Lynne were, of course, shocked. Richard initially had no concerning symptoms that made him think he had pancreatic cancer.
After a blood test at a checkup appointment, Richard was advised to make another doctor’s appointment to take a deeper look into his health. There, at another appointment, the doctors confirmed that he had pancreatic cancer.
Throughout his treatment, Richard stayed himself. A unique person who held his own personality very well. Eventually, he developed pneumonia, which sent him to the hospital and took a toll on his health.
At that point, it was discovered that the cancer had spread to his lungs. Richard’s medical team determined it would be best to cancel further treatments, and he was transitioned to at-home hospice care.
While under hospice care, he recovered from the pneumonia, which gave him the opportunity to do many of the things that he loved: like attending hockey games as well as going out to eat with friends and family. He had to do things at a slower pace, but he got to spend several months doing things he enjoyed with the people he loved.
In April of that year, his health declined. He passed away on April 18, 2024, surrounded by his family.
Why Golf?
Richard and Lynne loved to golf; they went all of the time! Richard enjoyed golfing with his family and loved it whenever they could all be together. Carissa’s cousin Nick suggested putting together a golf tournament to honor Richard. From there, they worked together to execute this perfect idea.
Carissa and her cousin Nick started this event six months after Richard passed away. Doing the event so soon after Richard’s passing was an outlet for coping.
It was helpful to have a way to honor someone they loved so much and have family and friends together, telling stories about Richard and remembering him.
However, at first Lynne wasn’t accepting of the event. “I was against doing it because it just seemed like too much. Once it happened and I saw what they were able to raise with not knowing what they were doing in the first year, and to know hopefully that’ll help somebody else down the line have a better outcome with pancreatic cancer, made me feel good.”
Lynne described how seeing the event is emotionally moving and means more to her now; seeing the people come together for her husband and seeing Carissa and Nick coming together to arrange it all.
“I think it makes her feel a bit closer to him too,” Carissa explained, “It’s a way to keep him and his spirit alive, so I think it means a lot more to her.”
Lynne expressed her gratitude for this event, saying, “It made me proud to know that so many people cared about him. You never know until the time comes who’s there with you to support you. To me, that means the world.”
As she’s come around to this event, Lynne loves knowing that this event not only honors her beloved husband but also funds a great cause; knowing it’s going to help others.
The Beginning of A Great Tradition
Now, four years since Richard’s passing and three years since the first golf fundraiser, Carissa and her family have seen exponential growth and an overwhelming amount of support with the event.
In the first year of the event, they had 27 donors and sponsors and 10 teams, raising a total of $3,200. Last year, 2025, they had 48 donors and sponsors and 18 teams, raising a total of $7,622. This year, they have grown even more, with a combination of 52 donors and sponsors, 23 teams, and raised around $11,000.
For Nick, Richard’s grandson, his favorite part about this event is how everyone comes together to keep Richard’s presence alive and help others who are going through similar experiences.
“The amount of people who come and don’t golf, the volunteers and people who still want to be a part of it and help out is amazing,” Nick told us.
For the future of pancreatic cancer research and the Richard Greenway Memorial Golf Tournament, Carissa and her family just hope to find a way to detect pancreatic cancer earlier.
Finding an organization like Project Purple was important to Carissa and her family, and having support from family, friends, the community, and Project Purple was so exciting.
“I like that you guys provided for both the family and research,” Carissa told us. “Your donations and how involved you are in that aspect. You’re specific to pancreatic cancer too. We found Project Purple by looking up pancreatic cancer research, and you guys popped up!”
Going forward with the event, Carissa and her family want funds to continue to go towards research.
“I sometimes forget to slow down and look at what’s actually happening,” said Carissa. “When I get so wrapped up in the stress of planning everything and finalizing everything and making sure I reach out, I forget to sit back sometimes and realize this is what it’s all for.”
If you’re interested in starting a Community Event like this golf outing, contact us here!
