Joseph G. Greenberg | Salesman, coach, 80

Joseph G. "Hank" Greenberg, 80, of Rydal, a salesman, sportsman, and father of 12, died of heart failure Saturday at home.

Mr. Greenberg refereed public and Catholic high school basketball games for more than 15 years. He was also a longtime boys basketball coach at Our Lady Help of Christians School in Abington, where his wife, Mary McGowan Greenberg, coached the girls team. He was past president of the its home and school association.

Mr. Greenberg graduated from La Salle College High School, where he was a star basketball player. During World War II he served in the Army in the States.

After his discharge he earned a bachelor's degree from La Salle University. During his senior year, he captained the LaSalle basketball team that competed in the National Invitation Tournament.

After graduating, he played for a year for the Philadelphia Spas, a professional basketball team. He and his wife are members of the Philadelphia Basketball Old Timers Hall of Fame. He took pride in his children's and grandchildren's basketball achievements, his wife said, but his favorite sport was baseball. He played sandlot baseball growing up and rooted for the Philadelphia Athletics. He later was a Phillies fan.

For more than 30 years, Mr. Greenberg was a salesman for National Life and Accident Co. He retired in 1982.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by daughters Mary Kay Reed, Carol Dinneen, Sue Fedorowicz, Kathy May, and Kelly; sons Joe, Jimmy, Jerry, Greg, Tuck, Chip and John; a brother; and 26 grandchildren. A Funeral Mass will be said at 10 a.m. tomorrow at Our Lady Help of Christians Church, 1500 Marian Rd., Abington. Friends may call at the church from 9 a.m. tomorrow and from 6 to 8 p.m. today. Burial will be in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Cheltenham.