My heart is broken as I announce the unexpected passing of my best friend since high school, soul mate, better half, I honestly don’t know how I will get through life without him by my side…Rest in Peace my love…. – Lori Johnston
To celebrate the wonderful life of Britt Johnston, a loving husband, involved father, proud Papa, passionate technologist, loyal friend and colleague, and radiant light in the community, please share your memories and stories, including pictures or videos. We would love to capture the memories in one place to ensure his legacy and passion for life lives on.
Thank you! – to leave a comment, or read through the messages shared, click on Celebrating Britt’s life for the comment box to display below.
Britt was simply an amazing person to know. Professionally he was passionate about everything he did and the outcomes he wanted to achieve for others. When people had different views he always respected them and discussed them, even when we were at odds.
On a personal note he was just an great human being. I moved to the US just over four years ago and when I got here his focus on was making myself and family feel comfortable, above everything else. Lori and he were so welcoming and amazing to my wife, children and myself.
I have a lot of great memories of Britt. I remember taking him around Sydney, when he was visiting, and introducing him to good coffee, particularly flat whites.
I have a great photo of him with his feet in the water, after lunch, when we were in Greece. We had a day to kill before we flew back home and he organized a van, driver and a trip to the temple of Poseidon. Was a great day seeing something on what had been a full on two weeks of conferences for work.
I loved seeing him continue to succeed professionally and, more importantly, personally. As a doting husband, father and grandfather. Our heart is broken that his grand kids will grow up without him around to love, support and encourage them.
My deepest condolences to the Johnston family, I will deeply miss Britt Johnston he was an amazing friend, a brilliant technology innovator and a trailblazer. We had long talks in the early days of cloud adoption about how to develop the market, our Microsoft architects and our partners, and our talks would always end up in us talking about our families. He was a true gentleman and I miss him already.
I loved working with Britt, knowing him and traveling the globe for our business. He became a good friend and colleague and in many cases, mentor to myself and our team members. I had known Britt about 10 years through work but we became partners in crime in building the Technical Excellence team and presence in the Azure Sales team.
We had some great life lesson discussions, debates, and queries about the world, family and life and our business. Britt was always open to new ideas, helping others, teaching others, and traveled the globe to build the Azure business and enjoyed lots of new adventures. We were lucky enough to have walked a variety of cities exploring and seeing how others enjoy their lives (Barcelona, Madrid, Greece to name a few).
Britt was a very dedicated family man and a good person. He had a warmth for people that was of quick wit, a big smile and a willingness to ensure everyone was okay. He is and will be missed for all his creativity, family love and ability to see the future in high tech.
I wish serenity and strength for Lori and the family in the months and years ahead.
It was a wonderful three years working for Britt, who went out of his way to bring me on to the team. He was a brilliant thinker with a quick wit, and often times it was hard to keep up with his thoughts. I was continually learning and being challenged working for Britt, and the memories of those three years I spent on the CTO team are among my best at Microsoft, particularly with the quarterly Boot Camps and Airlifts that always kept us on our toes. Those were incredible times.
I especially remember the three Christmases the team celebrated at the Johnston home. Britt and Lori were so gracious to make it a memorable, personal time of fellowship that I continue to look back on as very special times. Those were the moments where we learned more about the Johnston family, their character, closeness, and love for each other.
Lori, we will never forget Britt, as he has touched our lives in so many ways we will all carry a little bit of the torch Britt ignited. Wishing you and the family peace, love, and God’s comfort as you navigate new waters moving forward. Britt will always be smiling down on you.
We lost a true friend. To Lori and the family, I’m so sorry for your loss. You were all the center of his universe. His passion for technology was a force that propelled his success in business but it was pale in comparison to his passion for his family. He took such pride in all of you and he shared with great enthusiasm the milestones that you had as a family and individually.
I have so many great memories of Britt in the decade or so that we worked together but I will remember his passion and zest for life the the most. He always had a new ‘favorite thing’ and I loved to talk with him because of the energy he had for whatever he was working on at the time and his seemingly endless thirst to come up with new ideas to do things better and different.
My sincere condolences to Lori and the entire family.
I was lucky enough to work with Britt for a year, and I’m a better person because of it. His passion for technology is contagious, and always shared a moment about family with the brightest beaming smile. One of my biggest learnings from him is that it’s okay to share a moment about family at work because it promotes a healthy balance. I’m sad to hear he’s gone, but so honored to have the opportunity to work with and learn from him.
I am so sorry for your loss. I have such great memories of Britt. Warm, kind, smart, adventurous. It was clear through his work that it was about the people and doing the right thing. He made it personal and engaging. He also made time for the connection. I have vivid memories of spending time with Britt and the team in Kyoto (and other places) and he was just a massively fun and positive influence on me and so many others.
Like others, I am also wishing you peace, love and family strength during this time and into the future.
I did not know Britt as well as many people on this feed but I have the fondest memories of working with him. It was not just that Britt was a true fountain of knowledge which of course he was, what left the most indelible impression on me was how sweet he always was. Early in my first pregnancy Britt marched up to me in the middle of an important meeting just to make sure that I was ok and from there on and throughout both my pregnancies he always looked out for me, always wanted to know how I was and what I needed and never missed an opportunity to tell me about his biggest pride and joy his family and grandchildren. I was so shocked and sorry to hear the awful news last week. My deepest condolences to Lori and his family. The world is a lesser place without his kindness. May you all live a long healthy and good life
Lori, I am very sorry to hear of your loss and I imagine the past few days have been very difficult for you and the family.
Britt was a great leader, respected and loved by many, he was inspiring and have always generous in sharing his thoughts and encourage gender diversity in the workplace.
I met Britt about 3.5 years ago back at MSFT. He was leading the Bootcamp that I attended as a new starters. I remembered he was handing out stickers. The guys at our table jumped all over it but Britt told them to stop to let me and another lady picked first. I then learnt that he has joined us at AWS and we finally got to work together even closer. I was going to meet him in Seattle, unfortunately he had to fly out but that didn’t stop us from meeting. I left him with some Tim Tam (Australian cookie) and joked that we would meet again. Surely, I met Britt back in March this year with a few more packets of Tim Tams, we joked about some of the crazy flavour and I asked him to come down under one day to visit us. He agreed, of course, that was before the COVID nightmare.
Britt was always approachable, always caring for his families, his peers even his customers, he’d be remembered by many and may his beautiful soul rest in peace❤
Lori and Family, Rob & I enjoyed your visits to San Jose, and know you in Tanglewood. Britt was the first person in Tanglewood to introduce himself. We enjoyed our friendship from NH to the West Coast. He will be missed. We are deeply saddened by his passing and are keeping you in our prayers at this difficult time.
A few memories of our times together.
Memories of our times together.
Pictures…
My Brother Britt
With great grieving and love, I write this essay of my brother Britt, a trail blazer and friend. We both grew up together sharing the same room in some of the homes we had while touring with our Mom and Dad in the Navy. Our last room we shared was at the log home my Dad and brother designed together. So what was this man all about? Well, I can say so many good things about him, and I will elaborate and provide some things you may have not known.
Britt was the first born, who also happened to be the one always coming up with the ideas on playing in the back yard with his own ideas. He was so independent, and I was always following in his footsteps. As the baby of the family, I always sought attention and love from him and Heather. It got to the point that one time I teased him so much, he ran after me and sat on my head. He certainly provided a solution to that. Britt and I were brought up in a household of moving every 3 to 4 years until we reached the age of 9 and 13. I remember how involved he was with Boy Scouts, and the big canoe trip he took with his troop in Minnesota before moving to Connecticut. He always seemed to excel in everything, from sports, to games, and playtime. But there was a time I did beat him at a chess game, probably because he got distracted.
Our childhood was great, but short lived. As soon as Navy tours brought us to Gales Ferry, Connecticut, he was focused on Junior High (middle school) and all the sports and eventually computers. Didn’t see him much after that because of his focuses with sports, friends, and computers. I do remember splitting logs with him at the log house when Dad asked us to finish up 5 chords of wood for the winter. I also remember in my junior or senior summer of high school, he made an effort to make our bicycle trip to Grampa Stansell’s house in South Yarmouth, MA very special. He took his older bike and upgraded it for long distance touring, and re-painted it for the trip. We had such a good time. Our adventure took us from Connecticut, thru Rhode Island, and then to Cape Cod Massachusetts to visit Grandpa Stansell. He loved seeing his Grandpa, and was inspired by him when Grandpa took out a Commodore 64 computer with a wooden workstation cabinet with all the switches Grandpa made himself. It was one of those few times I got to spend time with him without anyone else. Sounds selfish, doesn’t it?
Britt loved trains. He built a whole train village on the size of a hollow core door (32” X 81”). The detail was amazing and he was so focused and detailed. Some of his other hobbies as a kid was collecting beer cans in Libertyville, Illinois, which I loved and participated in with him. Maybe that is why I have beer cans in my basement… . Britt was a trail blazer to me. I followed in his footsteps with baseball (little league), and football. He helped me learn how to throw the baseball so well, I ended up being a pitcher for my baseball team in Libertyville.
Throughout my life, I observed Britt always focused on something, whether it was trains, collecting things, football, or finally, computers. If he was at a computer terminal, it was almost impossible to get his attention. He was so focused! When he really made computers his primary hobby and career, all of us had to say his name at least five time to get his attention. As I said, Britt was a trail blazer, especially at his high school (Ledyard High School). He somehow was able to learn the schools computer systems and helped the school principal create reports that would provide the data that Dr. Gauche’ needed. The school asked him to stay after almost every day and run reports for him on Digital Equipment Corp mini-frame computers. He was also one of the captain’s on the football team. How do I compete with that as a brother? A real trail blazer, and I admired him.
I was so proud of him when he got accepted to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, but his love of computer science made him leave after his second year, because he was so focused on this new technology, computers and databases.
Britt always tried to make our experiences fun and pleasant. From Sebago Lake, to the Cape Cod house, to the marriages of his two girls. I do know this, he dedicated all his time to his family. I only saw him later in life when he was on a business trips taking him to Washington D.C. He would pass through and take time to visit and go fishing in the Chesapeake Bay to catch his first trophy Stripped Bass. It was special.
On his spiritual side, Britt liked to keep his Christianity private in the beginning, but one day I was concerned about his faith and asked directly: “ Do you really believe in Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world?”, and his answer was “yes Randy”. He comforted me that day, knowing I would see him again after we both pass away from this earth.
My brother was, and is, and will be a special trail blazer in my heart and soul. He helped change lives, loved all that was surrounding him as much as he was able, and was always dedicated to the things he was interested most, his family, his faith, and computer science. He was one of the most patient and level-headed persons that I have known in all circumstances. I hope everyone takes what he has given to us all, and applies it to our lives, through Jesus Christ. I am truly thankful for Britt in my life as a brother, and a true friend, and looking forward to seeing him again in Heaven with our Lord Jesus Christ, Yashua, our Messiah.
Having only met Britt and your family once when you came a few years ago, (except for you as a small child), I felt close to you all through following your lives on FB. I was shocked and truly saddened by the news of his sudden passing. I’ll treasure the memory in this photo. I pray God’s comfort and all sufficient grace for you all and in the days to come. Love and prayers. ✝️???✝️
Kevin, and I feel so fortunate, we had a relaxed, easy, (very special) time with Britt, just days before his untimely passing.
We enjoyed his story about the first job he ever had. His family lived briefly in Japan, and their home was next to a brick making facility. He want on to say, a meticulous process, all hand made. I can picture his brain working even back then. His curiosity, landed him, a job. He was trusted to put the company logo on every brick. Each label had to be placed, percisely on the same, exact spot. I could just picture the care, and persession, Britt took with this task. An engineer in the making. He then continued, with a big smile, I was paid with a trip to the candy store. That statement changed the age I pictured him to be given this responsibility.
We were so looking forward to hearing many more stories.
He is missed…
My deepest condolences to the Johnston family. I was fortunate enough to work with Britt for several years. Britt had a passion for technology and customers. But what I appreciated most was his positivity and warmth. He will truly be missed.
I had the pleasure to team up with Britt in coaching. Britt had a lot of knowledge and wisdom. He had a lot of joy. He loved being out there working with the boys and one could see it every practice and game with the smile he brought.
Britt had a confident humility about him. He knew who he was, yet, would openly let others take the lead.
He had a passion for teaching. I saw it as we teamed together for the team we coached. But, the look in his eyes, leaves me know doubt he loved it in other aspects of his life.
It was a pleasure to work with him because he was kind and gracious and accepting. He wanted to work hard and improve, but did it with an attitude of positivity.
I only worked with Britt for a short period of time but in that time he left a lasting impression on me due to his warm generous personality and his humility.
I met Britt this summer when I interned on his team in AWS. In the meetings that I’d had with him, I immediately found him to be incredibly kind-hearted, passionate, and insightful. Even though he had a busy work schedule, he made sure to carve out time to meet with me individually and to give me thorough feedback about my final deliverable, which aided in my learning and results. I did not know Britt for very long, but I wish I’d had more time to get to know him better – he was a truly remarkable person and evidently impacted many lives for the better. He and his family are in my thoughts.
Britt with brother Randy and their two sons, Zachary and Daniel. We caught a rainbow trout and a landlocked salmon on Lake Winnipesaukee, NH. A very special time with the Johnston boys
I am saddened to hear this, and my deepest condolences to Lori and the Johnston family. I worked with Britt for several years at Microsoft and remember how brilliant and dedicated he was to his craft. He always had a mind of his own and constantly challenged everyone with new ideas. My favorite memory of Britt was debating with him on the best car ever built. It ended with both of us leaving work early and seated in his brand-new Tesla. He smiled, almost giddy, and went into full demo mode. Rest in peace, Britt.
I remember interviewing Britt and being impressed with his depth and breadth of knowledge and experience. I was really excited that he chose to join AWS and he had a massive impact during his time with us. He helped build the Redshift product management team and was able to drive delivery of a number of key features for Redshift at re:Invent 2019, AWS’ biggest event of the year. In addition, Britt worked closely with our partners in our sales and marketing teams to grow the business and built great working relationships with them. More recently, he was a big help as I joined the team in early May this year and I relied on him to help me come up to speed. When we asked him to shift roles to focus on AQUA, one of our most critical deliverables for this year, he did so with gusto and enthusiasm. He had an infectious energy and enthusiasm that lifted those who worked with him. And, he was a selfless leader and teammate, with a tremendous work ethic, who did everything he could to help the team succeed. Britt was a trusted colleague and just plain fun to be around – I will miss him deeply
I have only worked with Britt for the past four months and never got to meet him in person, but somehow, I feel like I got to know him quite well in this short timeframe. We worked particularly closely to team up and take analyst calls together which I enjoyed a lot. This was Britt’s idea that Redshift needs to be better known by the analyst community. We did at least a half a dozen briefings together with analysts where he would play a role as the passionate leader and drive the vision of Redshift and AQUA where I would be the practical product manager talking about feature details. He already knew a lot of the key analysts we talked with and his relationship helped in building further trust in our products. Leading Redshift and then AQUA product management was not an easy task. However, one thing I noticed is that he was always cheerful and motivated. His positive attitude and excitement about the technology was infectious and many of us enjoyed working with him. I am truly grateful that he has built an awesome team of product managers and lucky to have crossed paths with him.
To Lori and all of Britt’s family, my deepest condolences for your loss and I wish you strength as a family. We will miss Britt tremendously and continue to appreciate all the precious moments and learnings we gained while working with him. To me, Britt has been the visionary, optimistic and warm leader that was able to inspire his entire team to achieve the best with a strong can-do attitude. Britt asked me and others insightful questions. For example, when we once had coffee, he asked me – “do you know what is so special about coffee that connects people?” the answer to this was really what Britt is all about – authentic warmth that is felt by others and brings them together. Britt has been very proud of all of you, and shared the happy family moments with us. Britt was delighted about his time with the grandkids and about lifetime moments like the wonderful daughter’s wedding last year. On the wedding Britt shared many details about the extensive preparations and how much fun it was with all the family coming from back east. And Britt loved the gifts you all gave him. One surprise Britt was very excited about was the new matchbox car, which was painted by his son-in-law to match the custom colors of Britt’s real Tesla.
I’ll always remember and appreciate the opportunity I got to know Britt and learn from his life experience.
I have only known Britt since March when I joined Redshift, but I was immediately impressed by his warm demeanor, optimistic “can-do” spirit, and his ability to instill trust in those around him. We had an internal technical crisis in the product in May-June and myself and my team greatly appreciated Britt’s steady hand and unwavering support of the technical team and his faith and confidence in us to get the job done. It meant a lot. We also shared in common a love of cycling and talked about it a number of times, as all folks who love cycling share a special bond. Britt will be sorely missed and I am very saddened by his passing. I’d like to express my sincere condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues
Very sad and shocked to hear this news this morning. Britt hired me into the Redshift team and was a great colleague and always a fun person to work with. My deepest condolences to Britt’s family.
My name is Stefan Gromoll. I joined the AWS Redshift team just 5 months ago. Britt was one of the first people I met in the company and we immediately hit it off. After we first met and even though he wasn’t my direct Manager he suggested we have biweekly video calls to exchange ideas. Even though I knew him only over video chat and we had never met in person, I learned through our calls that he was a warm, positive, and very smart person. I always looked forward to our conversations, the most recent of which was just two days ago.
AWS is a much larger company than any that I have worked at in the past, and it was really nice to find so quickly after joining that there were such great and friendly people in the company like Britt to work with.
I am so sorry for your loss, and know that Britt will be missed by all of us at AWS.
I am so sad to hear this happened. I pray his soul rests in peace and my condolences to his family. I didn’t really get to know him much but the few times I spoke to him were enlightening and I learned a bit from him. He will be missed.
Very sad and shocked to hear this news this morning. Britt hired me into the Redshift team and was a great colleague and always a fun person to work with. My deepest condolences to Britt’s family.
Lori – we are so deeply sorry for your loss of Britt passing on. We can only imagine. His infectious smile and warmth remain vivid from our first meeting in SQL Server across our work at AWS. I will carry this energy forward as an inspiration. Our prayers are with you and your family.
I am extremely saddened and shocked to hear about Britt. I really enjoyed working with Britt, his ever present smile and humility will always be remembered. Britts willingness to hear issues and provide feedback, all the while keeping customer impact in mind are traits to live by. Britt was always looking to help others in need and see how his talents could be used for betterment for all. He will be sorely missed. May his soul rest in peace.
The WWSO US-SE LATAM team is very sorry to hear about the loss. Our heart goes to the Johnston Family. Britt will forever be memorialized on our #data Wall of Fame.
To Britt’s wife and family,
I worked closely with Britt for almost a year at Amazon. Many years prior to this, our professional careers crossed when we both worked on PHP & open source database development tools and I founded a company in the same space. However, we never met until we were introduced many years later. Our first meeting was one of nostalgia as we both exchanged the many stories we had from many years prior.
I hired Britt into Amazon but on joining he was immediately asked to help a different team (Redshift). Needless to say, Britt immediately agreed to help the organization in this high priority area. About a month after Britt joined, I was myself also assigned to Redshift… Britt and I always joked that we were just ultimately, after so many years in parallel universes, destined to work together.
Britt and I had a close working relationship. He was my right hand person on Redshift. Britt always brought huge passion and enthusiasm to work. Britt was a selfless person always focused on doing what’s right for customers, the organization, and his team members. But most important, I got a glimpse of Britt outside of work as he would openly share the exciting things happening in his family. He was very proud of his children and I remember his excitement and stories about last year’s wedding and his first grandchild. I also remember when Britt worked around the clock to help ensure there were sufficient ventilators in the hospitals for Covid-19 patients who needed them – a real testament to who Britt was.
Britt’s passing is a terrible shock to all of us. He will be very much missed. I am thankful I had the opportunity to work and spend a lot of time with Britt over the past year. My sincere condolences to the whole family.
One of my favorite Britt anecdotes was when I met him for the first time… for the second time.
At the Redshift team dinner in Las Vegas at the end of re:Invent 2019, I ran into Britt and delivered my predetermined introduction to him (thinking we’d never actually met). However, although most of our interactions were over Chime, I’d actually spent the morning with Britt in an EBC for Activision the previous July. Britt took would could have been a really embarrassing situation for me graciously, and we had a nice chat.
I thought that was a really classy move on his part, and something I’ll try to emulate if I’m ever in his shoes in a similar situation.
I worked with Britt with one of our customers. Britt was great to work with. Always helpful. He was always smiling. He had a way of putting folks at ease and bringing calm to a situation. Britt was an amazing person.
Britt’s leadership style and confidence made me a better Amazonian. By earning his trust, Britt afforded me the opportunity to develop the Data Exchange Direct PoC. With an executive presence and customer viewpoint, Britt saw the art of the possible. He was a cordial visionary that welcomed my 1:1 meetings with curiosity, guidance, and a smile. Britt’s passing is a loss for all Amazonians. He was a mentor and gentleman.
I remember Britt being very passionate and vested in whatever he did. We recently had a Redshift AQUA presentation at Pfizer in which he kept the audience engaged for the full hour which is often hard to do in remote technical meetings. He was always open to suggestions and strived to make things better. He helped to make the engineering team more accessible which has been of great help in the field. He will be missed.
I’ll always remember Britt as a great communicator who could describe in very simple terms why our technology was unique in how it delivered customer value. In my limited interactions with him I found Britt approachable, a great listener and always willing to share and teach. He helped me with my Aqua presentations (with detailed speaker notes) at Expedia and his ability to simplify the engineering behind a complex feature was fascinating. The Redshift team will miss him. My condolences to his friends and family.
Britt always struck me with how he treated others. He was always willing to make time for others and had so much gentle strength and presence that I and others that he interacted with gravitated to… I will miss him and the hole he leaves in the fabric of this team, will be open for a long time.
Lori and family my deepest condolences. I have partnered with Britt closely as his HRBP leader in the last 1 year. To me Britt was a special leader and human. He brought energy and enthusiasm in everything he did. In the last few months, since he started working on AQUA, he couldn’t stop telling me how excited he was that he was trusted with this critical project. He loved that it brought his passion for technology and hardware together. He loved partnering with Andy Caldwell and team and was so happy he gets to write and tell the AQUA story with the team in time for re:Invent. I also remember how he was telling me how proud he was of the impact he had at the beginning of the pandemic, working with a group of bright individuals to figure out a way to make a ventilator work for 2 people vs. 1, basically doubling the ventilator capacity. He was also always eager to share the many happy family moments he had with you. His daughter’s wedding last year, time with grandkids, family dinners etc. I will miss him terribly.
Britt and I were always one of the first people to come into the office in the morning, we’d usually drink our first cup of coffee looking out the window over at the construction being done across the street and discuss the progress made and what we thought would go up next. Outside of talking about construction he had waves of stories and industry experience which he was always willing to share. He was always interesting to talk to and I’ll miss these conversation we shared in the morning watching construction.
Workwise Britt was extremely passionate about the projects he was involved with, always contributing a keen eye for detail and a level head, always thinking what we could do better. I don’t have a doubt that Britt will still be influencing out upcoming features, just by the work he’s already done.
I was excited about working with Britt on this new project until I heard the terrible news. I am stunned and deeply saddened. I am truly sorry for your loss and my heartfelt condolences go out to Britt’s family.
I’m very sorry for your loss. You are in my thoughts and prayers.
We were so saddened when we heard about the sudden passing of Britt. We can only imagine the great loss this has been for all of you. Seeing the many pictures that you have shared on line is a true testimonial to the love Britt had for his family!
I am sharing the picture from Hyannis from the summer you asked us all to spend the day there with you. Everyone had such a nice time together and our children got to see cousins and make memories! Mike had such a great time talking to Britt, as he shared his recent Alaskan fishing adventure as well as other things in their lives. You are all in our prayers and know that Britt is looking down on all of you with a smile! He will surely be missed.
Britt was a great guy in all aspects. I will truly miss him at all our family functions. It will not be the same without his wonderful smile. He will be very missed. So sorry to all. My thoughts are with all of you at this difficult time
We met Britt and Lori when our daughters played soccer together, right after they moved to the area. That was so many years ago. Britt was the epitome of enthusiasm in everything we did together. Whether it was enjoying a Mariners game, boating or doing a jigsaw puzzle at our place in Chelan, he approached everything with passion. While we never worked together, we were both in the tech world. I was in awe of Brit, and frankly a little intimidated sometimes, as he was truly so very good at what he did. I use to think I was the one who could speak geek to the executives, and then show the geeks what it meant to actually sell the technology. But Britt had that in spades. He was the master of understanding how technology could result in business impact, and that is what made him so valuable to Microsoft and Amazon. But his biggest passion was for his family. The weddings, the grandkids, the love for his wife were always apparent. He was such an example of living a life fully and always being present. Suzanne and I will miss you Britt. You were a bright light in this world and touched so many people deeper than you probably ever knew. God bless you for your impact on this world and now in heaven.
Britt was a shining star! He brought light and life into the lives of any person with whom he interacted. I have told Lori of how he engaged Tony in conversation from the moment they met in a crowd. I remember looking over and being to grateful as the two chatted like old friends. He was gracious bartender extraordinaire at a Miss Maisel gathering. He was a techno and gadget enthusiast. I’ll never forget his boyish smile as he explained the technology behind his drone! As a family man, he was cherished by all as much as he cherished them. I remember particularly looking over at Lori and Britt in their backyard, sitting next to each other. He was looking lovingly at her and was completely wrapt in their conversation. Lori’s pictures and stories of his devotion to his son, daughters, and grandkids, and his twinkling eyes as he spoke of them, served as testimony.
Tony and I are honored to have known Britt, and we are here for Lori and the rest of the family for the long run. Lori, may God grant you peace and strength as you and yours go forward as living legacies to a great man.
I have hesitated to leave a tribute to Britt because I’ve been at such a loss for words to convey my feelings , thoughts and devastation over his passing. Britt was such a bright light in this world. He was a man of many talents and excelled at everything he did. He also had a level of intelligence that I couldn’t even begin to comprehend. The last couple of weeks I have been reflecting on my memories of Britt that go back to high school when we lived in the same neighborhood and rode the same bus to school. By far, the overwhelming majority of my memories involve the time I spent with he and Lori. So many have talked about Britt’s warm smile. It’s always the first thing that comes to mind when I think of him. I will always remember that smile most when he spoke about his daughters, son, grandchildren and his most treasured, beautiful wife. Lori, the picture of the two of you dancing at Kelsey’s wedding in the shared memories, is exactly the way I way I watched Britt look at you. He beamed with pride when he talked about all the amazing parties and events you pull off. He absolutely adored all of you. Of the many outstanding accomplishments Britt will be remembered for, his family will always be his greatest legacy. My heart aches for the pain that you all have to endure. My prayer for all of you is that there will come a time, and there will, that the precious happy memories you shared will overshadow the pain. I feel so fortunate to have known Britt and call him friend. I’m here for you always, Lori. Love you.
We are so thankful to Britt for helping our son Richard during his years at college and after. I remember meeting you both so long ago in Nashua. Britt was always smiling and welcoming when we spent time together Lori. Thankful to have met such a wonderful person. I am always thinking of you Lori and your beautiful family. I loved looking at all of the pictures you would post of you and Britt about spending time together. Keep all those beautiful memories close. God Bless.