Joseph Henry Britton died Wednesday, August 17, 2011 at Foxdale Village Retirement Community, State College, Pennsylvania after a lengthy illness.
Born, March 14, 1922 in Midland, Michigan, he was the son of the late Edgar Clay Britton and Grace Van Huss Britton.
Joe grew up in Midland, Michigan where his father was a chemist at the Dow Chemical Company. He served in the Army during World War II in Panama. After the war, he graduated from Albion College and earned his Doctorate from the University of Chicago.
He married Jean Oppenheimer Britton in June 1948 and shortly thereafter moved to State College where he taught for many years in Penn State's College of Health and Human Development. He and his wife coauthored a number of research articles and a book on Gerontology. He was instrumental in the founding of Penn State's Gerontological Center and was President of the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education. Joe was a member of the State College Presbyterian Church, the Bay View Association, Torch Club, and Rotary Club. Joe enjoyed music, Penn State athletics, and photography.
After retiring from Penn State, Joe and Jean traveled the world extensively and enjoyed many summers with family and friends at their cottage in Bay View, Michigan. They moved to Foxdale Village in 1988. Jean died in March, 2010.
Joe is survived by his son, John, his wife Sara, and three grandchildren, Emma, Paul, and Evan; his sister Lennis Swift, and his brother Harold Britton. Joe loved the State College community and will be remembered fondly by us all.
Memorial contributions may be made to the State College Presbyterian Church, 132 West Beaver Avenue, State College, PA 16801.
A family memorial service will be scheduled at Bay View, Michigan at a later date.