The passing of popular industry veteran, Michael Green, has been met by an outpouring of sadness, with tributes from colleagues and friends across the globe.

Michael Green

One such friend is Marc Haim, president at US distributor, Gold Coast International. He contacted InterGame with his thoughts.

“Michael’s passing is a very sad and personal loss for me, but for our industry it is even more significant. This marks the passing of an era.

“Michael is one of the last members of the generation that grew up in the business in the 1950s, who saw its development through the early gambling days, through the boom years of jukeboxes, through the days of electromechanical arcade games, pinball and pushers, then into the golden age of video and beyond.

“He was involved in every facet of the coin machine industry, he was a manufacturer, an operator, a distributor, a salesman, and a well-known figure in all parts of the world. He was one of the few people who was equally at home in UK, in USA and in Japan.

“He leaves behind a legacy of warmth, of success and of accomplishment. His beautiful wife Hillary has been at his side through thick and thin, through all the travels, and has been a tower of strength for Michael. He leaves behind children, grandchildren, and many, many friends in the industry who will miss him. I am one of them.

“Please extend my condolences to Hillary and the Green family.”

Another tribute came in from Darlene Stone, widow of another industry giant, Al Stone. Al was instrumental in the successes of Nintendo and Sega in the US and worked closely with Green throughout the 90s. Darlene attended many of the shows with her husband and was a familiar face to many on the circuit.

She told InterGame: “I just heard about Michael Green.  It seems that this dreadful disease takes the best of us. I did reach out to Hillary and I hope that she receives my personal note, but if not please let her know that I am thinking of her in this time of loss.

“Michael so represented the quintessential elegance that is special and unique to the UK. He was truly an icon in the industry and was able to always make deals that benefited everyone around the table.  He was authentic and truly cared about the industry and the people. His beautiful and amazing wife, Hillary, was always by his side, reinforcing how much the business and the people meant to them personally.

“He will be missed and I feel a passing of an era. My heart goes out to Hillary and his family.”

Image: Michael (front) with UDC colleagues Derek (left) and Mark Horwood, a photograph taken two years ago to celebrate his 60 years in the industry.