Fifty years ago, Jim Green was a visionary.

Before Green first became Butler County commissioner in 1959, there was no community college or 911 dispatch center.

Once in office, Green pushed until both were created.

Past and current county officials recalled working with Green, who served throughout the 1960s and again in the 1980s, over the decades.

Green, 80, of Slippery Rock died Monday at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh.

Bill O’Donnell, chief county clerk, lauded Green’s accomplishments.

“He had a great vision in the 1960s,” O’Donnell said.

Bill Patterson, a former chief county clerk, agreed.

“As a majority commissioner and a minority commissioner, Jim was a major influence on the board,” Patterson said. “He always had the good interest of Butler County at heart.”

Patterson said Green worked hard promoting the idea of a college and a traveling library.

County Commissioner Jim Lokhaiser worked for Green in the 1960s.

Lokhaiser recalls Green pushing for the formation of Butler County Community College even when it wasn’t the popular choice.

“Jim was very aggressive that way,” Lokhaiser said.

He credited Green’s initiative for the implementation of a centralized purchasing system for the county, beginning the practice of bulk purchasing.

“We saved money,” Lokhaiser said.

Ed Rupert, director of county property and revenue, said Green didn’t let party affiliations stand in the way of progress.

“Even though he was a staunch Democrat, when the county needed him, he put politics aside,” Rupert said.

He said Green, who served as a state representative between his stints as commissioner, used information and contacts culled from those years to benefit the county.

O’Donnell said Green was an active member of the Democratic Party.

“A champion of the working class,” O’Donnell said. “He’ll be missed.”

Former county Commissioner Glenn Anderson praised Green for treating people from all walks of life the same.

“He was a great mentor,” Anderson said. “He helped me a lot.”

Lokhaiser said Green would have won any seat he could have sought.

“He was a great politician,” Lokhaiser said. “His name was well-known all over the county. He was a big asset to the county over the years.”

Nick Neupauer, BC3 president, said Green’s death is a loss to the county. He said Green always supported the college.

“Jim was always interested in what was going on at the college,” he said.

Tim Shaffer, Slippery Rock district judge and a former state senator, said his first experience with Green was in 1968, when Green and his father, John Shaffer, were county commissioners.

In December 1968, John Shaffer was killed in a car accident. Tim Shaffer remembers how Green helped his family.

“I can remember to this day ... Jim Green was the kindest, most caring individual to my mother. He was just so supportive and caring,” Shaffer said.

Shaffer was a state senator from 1981 to 1996. Although he was a Republican and Green was a Democrat, he said there was no animosity when they worked together.

“When it came to Butler County, there was no politics whatsoever,” Shaffer said. “He was just a classy guy who had Butler County on his mind.”

Politicians are not the same now, Shaffer said.

“It’s the end of an era ... when kinder, gentler politics actually worked,” Shaffer said.

Green also served as a Slippery Rock councilman. Borough officials cited his efforts at the municipal level.

Ron Steele, a former borough councilman, said Green impacted both the county and the borough.

“He was a real leader and he will be missed,” Steele said. “I really enjoyed the years that I had with him on council.”

Steele, who served as a Republican, said there was little friction in council based on party lines.

“We were just a group of seven trying to make this community better,” Steele said.

Dave Miller, Slippery Rock council president, said Green served the community well.

“Jim meant so much in this community,” Miller said. “It’s a difficult time for everyone.”

Miller said Green was a mentor to him when he started on council in 2007. He said Green was always level-headed and intelligent in his conduct.

“Wise is a good word for Jim,” Miller said.

Paul Dickey, Slippery Rock Municipal Authority manager and a Slippery Rock Township supervisor, said Green was always a positive force.

“I’ve known Jim for a long time and he’s always been a stand-up guy. Easy to talk to; always knew you on the street; all positive things,” Dickey said.

He said when the borough was considering selling the authority last year, Green was the first to voice an opinion against that option.

Dickey said although the township and borough had disagreements in the past, Green was always easy to talk to about current issues.

“He was always steady on the board. He’d think things through,” Dickey said.

Green’s obituary is on

page 8.