Wilbur Randall Britton

On Easter Sunday, March 31, 2024, Lt. Col. Wilbur Randall “Brit” Britton (USAF, Ret.) of Fort Myers, FL, celebrated the resurrection of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the presence of his Savior. He was 105 years of age. He will be deeply missed by his family.

Born on Sep. 14, 1918, to Eddie and Esther (Randall) Britton in Centerville, MO., Brit grew up active in scouting and was the first young man from that area to become an Eagle scout. He graduated from Centerville HS in 1936, and Southeast Missouri State Teachers College (SEMO) in 1941. Upon graduation, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps and, during World War II, served as a bomber production test pilot for B-29s in Wichita, Kansas. While at Wichita, he married his college sweetheart, Elizabeth Dorris. Except for an assignment in the South Pacific immediately after the war, Elizabeth and a growing family were with him wherever he was stationed, including an assignment in England. Throughout his USAF career he flew many different bombers and served in many varied positions. Notably, from 1952 to 1954, he was the Air Force plant representative at USAF Plant Number 6 in Marietta, GA.

Brit retired from the Air Force in 1961 and moved with his family to Marietta, GA, where he worked in purchasing for the Lockheed Georgia Company until his retirement in 1986. He was an active member of Roswell Street Baptist Church for over 50 years. He and Elizabeth loved to travel and visited many places such as the Holy Land, Australia, Africa, Europe, Hawaii, and Alaska. In 2019, he moved to Fort Myers, FL., to be closer to his daughters. When asked, he would say his greatest accomplishment in life was his family.

Wilbur Randall Britton was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, his brother Herman Britton, an infant sister, and his son, Randall Thomas Britton. He is survived by his daughters, Martha (Larry) Hamner, and Barbara (Barry) Kelly, seven grandchildren and many great and great-great grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at Cheatham Hill Memorial Park on 1861 Dallas Highway, SW, Marietta, GA, at 2 pm, May 4. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the American Heart Association (www.heart.org) or Hope Hospice House in Cape Coral, FL (www.morehope.org).