JOHN P. BRITTON

BRITTON--John P., beloved father, grandfather, husband, brother and distinguished scholar of Babylonian astronomy and the history of science, died of cardiac arrest on June 8th. He was 71. John was born in Hartford, CT. He attended St. Paul's School and spent ten years at Yale University where he received a B.A. and a Ph.D. in the History of Science and Medicine for his work studying ancient mathematics and astronomy. After school he moved to West Hartford, where he lived for more than 20 years with his first wife Kathryn Lines Britton, raising his family and working in a variety of roles in the investment management business. He joined Conning & Company in 1966, became partner and later left to found CF Management, an asset management firm. In his last two decades, John returned his focus to the study of ancient astronomy, and made a number of notable contributions to the field. His early study of the precision of the models in Ptolemy's Almagest was followed by numerous works that formed a comprehensive exploration of the origins of exact science. In 1995 he married Claudine Vincente Britton and in 1997 they moved to Wilson, WY. John charmed the lives of his friends and family with his mischievous, contrarian sense of humor, his deep intellect and his wide-ranging interests in politics, financial markets, science, arts, and history. He served on the Board of Trustees of the Wadsworth Atheneum and a number of corporate boards and worked with St. Paul's School to improve mathematics education. John also had a lifelong passion for the outdoors. He enjoyed rock climbing, skiing, and hiking for most of his 71 years and introduced both his sons and grandchildren to the outdoor life. He is survived by his wife, Claudine Britton of Wilson, WY; his sons John Britton of New York, NY and Sam Britton of San Francisco, CA; his brother Peter Britton of South Hamilton, MA; and four grandchildren.