Frank Clayton Britt of Lynchburg, Virginia, died unexpectedly at Duke University Hospital early in the morning of May 23, 2017, following successful knee surgery. He died as he lived…enjoying life and reaching out to friends. Frank was born in Tarboro, North Carolina, the second son of the late Sara Tyler Clayton Britt and James Elliott Britt. He was predeceased by his brother, Dr. James Elliott Britt, and sister-in-law, Catherine Galvin Hoffman. Frank is survived by his wife, June Galvin Britt; sister, Sara Tyler Britt; his sister-in-law, Ailsa Galvin Nelms and her husband Dr. William M. Nelms; nephew, Charles Stephen Hoffman (Denise); nieces, Deborah Hoffman Menary (John), Catherine Leigh Hoffman, Kathryn Nelms Rose (Dennis), Lisa Nelms McKinney, Carol Nelms Dawson (Brian). Frank moved to Lynchburg in 1969 to work for the Chap Stick Company where he was director of promotional marketing. In 1981, he founded Britt Marketing & Public Relations, concentrating on clients in commerce and industry. He served on the board of the Marketing Communications Agency Network and was a former member of the Virginia Advertising Coalition, the American Advertising Federation and the Direct Mail Marketing Association. He was a program partner of the Virginia Economic Development project. A few years ago, Frank went to several wine festivals around the state. He was amazed at the numbers of people who were in attendance and noticed all were having fun and enjoying the festivities. He became interested in Virginia wines and the growing Virginia wine business, and he developed many friendships with winery owners, winemakers and others in the industry. Beginning in 2008, he began promoting the industry with the online publication “Official Virginia Wine Lover”. He has served as consultant for a number of wine festivals around the state, and in 2013 initiated his own event in Lynchburg, the James River Wine & Music Festival. A graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University, Frank attended The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina and the Sorbonne in Paris. Living and studying in France was the beginning of his lifelong interest in the country and its language. He was a true Francophile, and over the years was active in Alliance de Francaise de Lynchburg. He was a founding member and long-time president of Sister City of Lynchburg-Plus, and he worked to arrange a successful sister city match with Rueil-Malmaison, France, a city ten miles outside Paris. He had many friends in Rueil. Frank was an active participant and former board member of Sister Cities International. He was also a founding member of the Dante Alighieri Society of Virginia in Lynchburg, whose purpose is to promote Italian language and culture. An active participant in civic activities, Frank demonstrated both a personal and professional interest in the growth and vitality of Central Virginia. He was particularly involved in beautification and environmental projects, including Citizens for A Clean Lynchburg, which he co-founded, Keep Lynchburg Beautiful, and Operation: Plant-A-Tree, which served as a prototype for recycling projects around the country. For his efforts, he was made an honorary member of the Lynchburg Garden Club. Additionally, he served on the boards of Sheltered Industries, Big Brothers & Sisters, Piedmont Area Heart Association, United Way of Central Virginia, Lynchburg Fine Arts Center, Lynchburg Symphony, among others, and shared his marketing expertise with numerous non-profits. Frank was an active Rotarian, a past president of The Lynchburg Rotary Club and a Paul Harris Fellow. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, May 31, 2017 at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 200 Boston Avenue, Lynchburg, Va. 24503, followed by a reception in the church parish hall. Memorials may be made to the Virginia Center for Creative Arts at Mount San Angelo in Amherst. Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory, Lynchburg, is assisting the family.
Posted in: obituarydata.com
Posted on: 2017-05-30
Link to original obituary: