Toni Dias Green

She was called Toni Maria, "T," Dias, Grandma Toni, Aunt Toni, so many names for the singular force of nature that was Toni D. Green. To know Toni was to be impacted by art, culture, colors, interesting people, places, and always conversation- so much honest, open, and candid conversation.

Toni Maria Dias was born on November 13, 1950 in Newport, RI to Antonio Vicente and Mary "gg" Dias. Always independent and grown up, 5 year old Toni always wore dresses to play outside, drank a cup of coffee every day, and walked by herself to and from Cranston Calvert Elementary School. In Newport, Toni Maria was surrounded by close family and friends and enjoyed her freedom, walking downtown, taking the ferry from Newport to Jamestown, visiting the library and Newport Historical Society. She attended Thompson Junior High School and Rogers High. As a Sophomore at Rogers, Toni worked as a waitress in the cafeteria at the Navy YMCA, using her tips for the down payment on her first car, a used white Corvair, in April 1968.

Upon graduating from Bryant College in Rhode Island in 1974, Toni moved to Boston to live with her sister, Ellie and her family as she sought her first professional position. She found opportunities at Honeywell in Waltham MA and Blue Cross Blue Cross (BCBS) of Massachusetts. In 1978, Toni made the decision to pursue an MBA because as she put it, "It was becoming a thing." She knew she wanted to attend an HBCU, so selected Atlanta University in GA, where she majored in Brand Management.

After graduation, Toni was recruited by Pillsbury in Minneapolis, MN and made her move to the Midwest. While brand management was not a good a fit, she did find a great fit in Minneapolis. His name was Fred Green. Toni met Fred at the Riverview Supper Club in North Minneapolis in the early 80s, and they married at St. Philips Episcopal Church in St. Paul, MN on July 20, 1985.

Looking for a career change in Minneapolis, Toni joined the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) as Area Development Director in 1989, beginning her career in fundraising. She was good at it and won the President's Award for Outstanding Fundraiser 2 years in a row, but Toni would later say, "with success comes boredom." After 5 years at UNCF, she moved to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (MIA) as Director of Marketing & Communications, and then on to Cargill as a Senior Program Officer for the Cargill Foundation. 

In 2005,  after 10 years at Cargill, Toni and Fred relocated to Rhode Island, where she landed briefly at Johnson & Wales University (JWU) as Chief Diversity Officer (CDO), before heading to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as Leadership Giving Officer. She retired from MIT as Sr. Leadership Giving Officer after 10 years in June, 2020. In retirement, Toni enjoyed a busy life between Boston, MA and Newport, RI.

Throughout her life, Toni took on unique volunteer roles. As a friend of the incarcerated, she formed an enduring bond with a female prison inmate during and after her period of incarceration. With CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), Toni served as a court-appointed volunteer advocate for children and youth who have experienced abuse or neglect. Most recently, she volunteered for a program assisting people with managing their finances and other needs. T had an uncanny ability to be both deeply empathetic and powerfully pragmatic, making her particular brand of advocacy life-changing for those who received her counsel and support.

Toni's love of travel began with her first big trip to New York City with mother, Gigi and sister, Ellie in June 1963. The highlight of the trip was seeing Diahann Carroll perform in the musical "No Strings" at the Broadhurst Theater. Toni was mesmerized and had a love affair with Broadway theater since that day.

She traveled extensively with Fred, family and her good friends (FOF). She loved Paris, London, Morocco, South Africa, Ghana and so many other destinations; but it was a passion for African American art that consumed decades of her extraordinary life. An avid entertainer, Toni was a simply elegant cook who encouraged everyone  play board games and spend time together. She loved to shop and to return things just as much. She never betrayed a confidence, was not afraid to laugh at herself, and still wrote personal notes to her family and friends. Toni Green filled every space with beauty, color, and energy.

This year would have been Fred and Toni's 40th wedding anniversary.

Toni D. Green succumbed to Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) at Massachusetts General Hospital on January 25, 2025.

She is survived by husband, Fred M. Green; sister, Ellie Jones (Curt); niece, Jaimi Jones: nephews, Keith Jones, Kevin Jones; and a host of grand and great grand nieces and nephews; in-laws, Alan Green (Winifred), Andrew Green (Laura); stepdaughter, Kat (Angie) Brown (Okeeba); stepson, Fred D. Green; nieces, Allison Johnson (Calvin), Cecile Brown (Caleb); and her grandchildren, nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by parents, Antonio Vicente and Mary "gg" Dias.

Visiting Hours will be held on Sunday, February 2, 2025 from 3:00-6:00pm in the Memorial Funeral Home, 375 Broadway, Newport, RI.

Toni's Celebration of Life will be held at Trinity Church, Queen Anne Square, Newport, RI on Monday, February 3, 2025 at 11:00 am. Family and friends will gather at Johnny's Restaurant at the Wyndham Newport Hotel following the service.

Donations may be sent to Newport Classical, or flowers may be sent to Memorial Funeral Home.