George Miller "Tim" Britton

1940 - 2025

George Miller "Tim" Britton

Feb 20, 1940 - Dec 9, 2025

George Miller Britton, known universally as Tim, passed peacefully at the age of 85 at noon on Tuesday, December 9, after a short illness in Hospice at Novant Hospital. Tim had lived in Winston-Salem since 2001.

Tim was born February 20, 1940 in Los Angeles, CA, to William Johnstone and Cristina Welles Britton. He spent his early years in La Canada, CA, and moved with his family to Charlotte at the age of 12, where he spent the next seven years generally raising a ruckus. At 19, in hopes of straightening himself out, he enlisted in the Marine Corps, ultimately serving in the Marine Corp Reserve until 1965.

After a year of laying pipe and loading freight, he matriculated at Charlotte College and earned his bachelor's degree, serving as Student Body President during the year that the college became part of the UNC System. He earned a master's degree in Sociology at East Carolina and a PhD in Clinical Sociology at NC State. He spent most of his teaching career in the Community College System, primarily at Lenoir Community College and later at Forsyth Tech.

Tim's achievements include taking an innertube down Linville Gorge as a teenager followed by a cross-country trip in a hearse, both with the same friend. He was an avid SCUBA diver, whitewater rafter, fisherman, and was a Sensei in Jiu Jitsu. He was Lenoir County's first Fulbright Scholar, served on Lenoir County's Social Services Board as President, and was known as North Carolina's first professional knifemaker. He was a juried member of the Knifemaker's Guild, Piedmont Craftsmen, and Carolina Designer Craftsmen. He was a longtime member of the New Canaan Society, and a constant seeker of enlightenment. He never met a stranger and could not leave a restaurant without making a new friend. He met his wife Deb in 1991 and, after a whirlwind courtship, they wed in 1999 and settled in Winston-Salem.

He is survived by his wife, Deborah Brody Britton, and his sister, Linda Cristina Britton (Charlotte), predeceased by his parents and a sister, Victoria Britton. He is also survived Linda's children, Max (Amy) Duarte, Linda (Rob) Glickman, Susana Duarte de Suarez, and Victoria (Doug) Hollidge, nine great-nieces and nephews, four cats and a parrot.

A funeral will be held at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, December 13, at St Timothy's Episcopal Church in the Chapel, followed by a brief visitation in the ECW.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to AARF (Animal Adoption and Rescue Foundation) in Winston-Salem. Condolences may be shared at www.salemfh.com.

Salem Funeral & Cremation Service

2951 Reynolda Rd., Winston-Salem, NC 27106