Friday, May 23, 2008
Keister Greer, well-known Franklin County lawyer, dies at 86
Keister Greer
Sam Dean | The Roanoke Times
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Keister Greer, a retired Rocky Mount lawyer known for quoting Shakespeare, Tennyson and the Bible in front of juries on behalf of his clients, died early Friday morning in Knoxville, Tenn. He was 86.
"He went peacefully in his sleep," said Circuit Judge G. Carter Greer, 52, of his father.
Keister Greer is also survived by his daughter, Taliaferro Greer Alexander, in Rocky Mount.
Juvenile and Domestic Relations Judge David Melesco, a protege of Keister Greer, said, "He was probably the smartest lawyer I've ever met."
Greer spent eight years volunteering on the board of visitors at the University of Virginia, Melasco said. "He loved UVa, his family and the Marines," he added.
Funeral arrangements will be announced later today.
Carter Greer said his father died during a rest stop, apparently at a motel, while driving back to Franklin County from a visit to Chicago.
