Obituary of Barbara Lillian Britton

Barbara Lillian Britton of West Trenton N.J. passed peacefully on January 17, 2019 at the age of 88 after battling a long illness.

Born on Deer Isle, ME to her parents Kenneth N. and Lyndell L. Greenlaw, Barbara grew up in New London, CT attending Chapman Tech High School.  In recent years she enjoyed attending class reunions in New London with dear school friends.  After graduating high school early, Barbara left home at 16 to attend the Katherine Gibbs Secretarial School in Norwalk, CT.  While there, she met the love of her life Robert B. Britton.  Being the daughter of a sea captain, Barbara was naturally taken with ‘Bob’, a young U.S. Navy officer at the time.  They wed in 1948 and remained devoted to each other until Bob’s death in 2012.  Pursuing Bob’s career as a civil engineer, they resided in Baltimore, MD and Houston, TX before settling in West Trenton, NJ.  Following the birth of their two sons, Barbara went back to night school and true to her diligent nature graduated summa cum laude from Trenton State College.  Later she would earn two Master’s degrees, one from TSC and the other from Rider University.

Barbara began a career at Mercer Medical Center in Trenton, NJ as a speech pathologist.  She would eventually come to direct Mercer’s Speech & Hearing department and later become a Vice President of that hospital, a title she held until her retirement.  During and indeed after her career, Barbara was a friend and mentor to many, and was a particularly staunch advocate for young professional women in the workplace. Barbara was a member of Yardley United Methodist Church for 60+ years and an active member of the Rotary Club in Trenton.  She also supported numerous charities, most importantly with her time and commitment.  She steadfastly believed in giving back to her community, and thoroughly enjoyed working side by side with like-minded people.

Those who knew Barbara well know that she was happiest with at least one ‘project’ going if not several, whether it be building an addition to her house on Deer Isle, coordinating a Greenlaw Family Reunion, researching her family genealogy, meeting with friends at the Historical Society, or co-authoring the book “Floating Palaces” about Maine island mariners and the big steam yachts of a bygone age.  She inspired many with her drive & vitality, her kindness & patience, and her can-do attitude toward life.

Barbara is survived by her son Robert B. Britton Jr. of Ewing NJ, and son & daughter-in-law James M. and Gloria G. Britton of Warminster PA.  She is also survived by her brothers Kenneth N. Greenlaw Jr. of Littleton CO and Roger Greenlaw of Colorado Springs CO, as well as sisters-in-law Virginia Britton of Muskegon MI and Barbara Greenlaw of Glendale CA.  Dear to her heart are surviving nieces and nephews William Britton, Susan Kleaveland, Roger Greenlaw Jr., Carol Blanchet, Val Watson and Kenneth Greenlaw III, as well as their spouses and many grand-nieces and nephews.

A memorial service for Barbara will be announced in future.