David M. Britt

DAVID M. BRITT

CARY -- Retired state Supreme Court Justice David M. Britt died Tuesday, May 5, 2009, at Glenaire Retirement Community in Cary after a lengthy illness. He was 92. Justice Britt was born in McDonald, N.C., on 3 January 1917, the second child of Dudley H. and Mae Hall Britt. Their first child, Clifford, died in infancy in 1915.

Justice Britt was predeceased by his wife of 68 years, the former Louise Teague of Fairmont; one son, David M. Britt, Jr.; one dear sister, Miriam Purvis of Raleigh; and four brothers, Neill L. Britt, Carl T. Britt, Dudley H. Britt, Jr., and Arthur Victor Britt.

Surviving Judge Britt is one beloved brother, Federal District Court Judge W. Earl Britt of Littleton; three daughters, Nancy B. Harris of Raleigh, Marty B. Greene and husband Craig of Millers Creek, and Mary Louise Hayes of Leland; seven grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Justice Britt attended the McDonald Elementary School and Lumberton High School from which he was graduated in 1933. He attended Wake Forest College (now University) and its law school from 1933 until 1937, including three summer schools. He passed the North Carolina bar examination in August of 1937 and practiced law in Fairmont (and later Lumberton) from January, 1938 until August of 1967. He served as solicitor of the Fairmont Recorder's Court for four years during the early forties, and during the fifties, he served as chairman of the Fairmont Board of Education.

In 1958, Brit was elected to the N.C. House of Representatives and served in that position until July of 1967. He served as Speaker of the 1967 session. In August of 1967, he was appointed by Governor Dan K. Moore to serve as one of the six original judges of the newly created Court of Appeals.

During his legislative tenure, Britt served one term as chairman of the House Appropriations Committee; one term as chairman of the Committee on Courts; and one term as a member of the Advisory Budget Commission. Between sessions of the legislature, he served on the General Statutes Commission, the Commission on Reorganization of State Government, the Courts Commission, and as chairman of the Speaker Ban Law Study Commission.

Britt served eleven years on the state Court of Appeals and in 1978; he was elected to succeed Justice I. Beverly Lake as a Justice of the Supreme Court. He served on that Court until August of 1982 when he voluntarily retired. Thereafter he was associated with the Raleigh law firm of Bailey and Dixon.

A lifelong Baptist, Britt served as a Sunday school teacher and deacon of First Baptist Church of Fairmont, and after moving to Raleigh in 1968, he served in those positions in Raleigh's Hayes Barton Baptist Church. He served two years as Vice President of the North Carolina Baptist State Convention and for twenty years served as chairman of the trustees of said convention. He served three years as a trustee of Wake Forest University, fifteen years as a trustee of Meredith College, and twelve years as a trustee of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. In 1969, his alma mater conferred upon him an honorary degree of doctor of laws, and in the year 2000, he was similarly honored by Campbell University.

He was a Rotarian for more than 60 years and in 1951-52 he served as District Governor for the southeastern area of North Carolina. He was a former member of the Fairmont Rotary Club and the Rotary Club of Raleigh. At the time of his death, Judge Britt was the oldest living past District Governor in Zone 33, which covers NC, East TN, VA, West VA and SC.

For many years, Britt was active in the North Carolina Bar Association. During the sixties, he served on the Board of Governors of the organization and later served as a vice president. In 1966, the Association presented him with its highest award, The Judge John J. Parker award, "in recognition of conspicuous service to the cause of jurisprudence in North Carolina."

Funeral services will be held Friday, May 8, at Hayes Barton Baptist Church at 2:00 p.m. with family visitation immediately following in the church parlor. Interment will be at Floyd Memorial Cemetery, 1549 Marion Stage Rd. Fairmont, NC at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 9. The family will receive friends immediately following the graveside at Floyd Funeral Services across from the cemetery.

Condolences may be sent to the Britt family at, 3116 Morningside Dr. Raleigh, NC 27607.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that contributions be made to the TV Ministry of Hayes Barton Baptist Church, 1800 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh, NC 27608, The Rotary Club of Raleigh Foundation, PO Box 20807, Raleigh, NC 27615, or the Glenaire Foundation at Glenaire Retirement Community, 4000 Glenaire Circle, Cary, NC 27511.

Funeral arrangements by Bryan-Lee Funeral Home, 831 Wake Forest Rd. Raleigh, N.C. (919) 832-8225.

Online condolences at StarNewsOnline.com