Anita Lee Greenwood

Anita Lee Nutt Greenwood passed away on October 20, 2025. She is survived by her husband Zeno Dixon “Dick” Greenwood Jr. and her daughter Mary Sinclair Greenwood of Lansing, NC, and her son Philip Zeno Greenwood of Chicago, IL.  Born in Galveston, TX, on January 11, 1954, she was the daughter of Ray Oswald Nutt and Valeta McCoy Nutt. Ray, a Civil Engineer with the Santa Fe Railroad, moved the family to Walnut, CA, in 1965 and to Palatine, IL in 1971. Music was very important to the Nutt household. Growing up, Anita learned to play the clarinet and piano.  After graduating from high school, she commenced undergraduate studies at Auburn University. At Auburn, Anita majored in French and played clarinet in the Auburn marching band.  In 1975, upon graduating from Auburn, Anita was accepted in the demanding Masters in International Business (MIB) program at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, SC. While in the MIB program, Anita honed her French language skills working at a bank in Paris, France. After earning her MIB degree, Anita worked at a print company in Atlanta, GA. Anita met Dick Greenwood while living in Columbia, and they married on May 31, 1980.  Because of Dick’s work in academia, Anita and Dick lived in Aiken, SC, then Mission Viejo, CA, followed by Ruston, LA. Her two children were born during their time in South Carolina.  While in Aiken, Anita fulfilled a childhood dream of owning and riding horses, both for pleasure and in competition. In Ruston, Anita taught French at Ruston Senior High School where she shared her passion for French language and culture with her students, many of whom went on to major in French in college and use it throughout their lives. Her students participated in and won prizes at annual French Conventions hosted by the Association Louisianaise des Clubs Français des Écoles Secondaires (ALCFES). She also took a leadership role in the Council of Development of French in Louisiana (CODOFIL).  After Dick retired, Anita and Dick moved to Lansing, NC, where Anita was active in the Ashe County Democratic Party and the Greater Lansing Area Development (GLAD) association, and served two terms as an Alderman on the Lansing Town Council.  Throughout her life, Anita loved music and nature. She was a devoted sister, friend, wife, and mother.