2006
William Thomas Greenville, 82, president of Applied Natural Systems, a business he started with his brother in 1980 to
manufacture a soil-stabilization product used in road building, died Nov. 1 at Holy Cross Hospital. He had complications from
prostate cancer.
Mr. Greenville spent most of his early career as an estimator for Edward G. Scharf, a construction-cost consulting business.
He was born in Hannibal, Mo., and raised in suburban Maryland. He was a graduate of St. John's College High School in
Washington.
During World War II, he served in the Army in Europe. While with the Chemical Warfare Service in 1944, he received the Silver
Star for actions near Saint Malo, France.
The citation credited Mr. Greenville for saving the lives of a dozen U.S. soldiers by effecting the surrender of Saint Malo's
German-held citadel without further strafing and bombing by U.S. attack planes. At one point, he risked his life by racing to an
exposed area and waving identification panels he removed from vehicles to get the attention of the planes.
His other decorations included the Purple Heart.
He was a member of Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Kensington and its Holy Name society. He was a longtime Kensington
resident and moved to Silver Spring two years ago.
Survivors include his wife of 55 years, Modeste Majewski Greenville of Rockville; two children, Catherine R. Camut of Rockville
and William T. Greenville III of Huntington Beach, Calif.; and three grandchildren.