Donna Louise (Case) Britt's Obituary
Donna Britt St. Michaels, Donna Louise Case Britt died peacefully on July 9, 2014 at the Talbot Hospice after a long illness. She was 78. Born May 1, 1936 in Batavia, New York to W. Stuart and Gertrude Case, Donna grew up and went to school in Batavia, NY and then attended William Smith College in Geneva, NY where she met her husband Chip. They were married on December 29, 1956 and she graduated in the Class of 1957. They first went to Dartmouth College for two years where she worked in the Botany Department and he was a graduate student in Physics. Then they went to Yale University where she worked for a well known genetics professor and was proud to be in charge of maintaining the fruit flies. She made many friends among the graduate students and liked to point out that the biologists gave much better parties than the physicists. Then in 1961 after graduation Chip accepted a position with the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory where they spent the next 25 years in New Mexico with several stays at various places including a year in Berkeley, CA in 1964, at the University of Rochester, NY in 1974 and Munich, Germany in 1979. When they moved from Los Alamos to Santa Fe, NM Donna took a job in a small shop on the “plazaâ€. This began a life long interest in working in unique small shops. She was especially pleased that during a two year stay in Washington (1983-85) she was able to work in the Washington Dolls House and Toy Museum that was quite a special place. They moved to Alamo, California in 1986 when Chip transferred to Lawrence Livermore Laboratory. While there she worked in a South Western Indian curio shop where her years in New Mexico were a big plus. Chip took a two year assignment in Washington, DC in 1992 where they enjoyed living in a nice condo halfway between the White House and Georgetown. Ultimately they stayed for 9 years and retired to St Michaels, MD. In Washington Donna managed another unique toy shop in Georgetown, Knockin Wood. As in other places she enjoyed the spectrum of interesting people that she met. In 2001 they settled on the Eastern Shore and felt lucky to find such a nice spot, St. Michaels. In St. Michaels Donna spent her time volunteering at the Community Center and was among the early group that established the Treasure Cove Thrift Shop and also helped establish a weekly luncheon program for Seniors. In addition, she volunteered at St Michaels Museum and the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum She is survived by her husband of 57 years Harold “Chip†Britt of St. Michaels, MD; one brother; William Case of Spencertown, New York, and a nephew, Nathan Case of Denver, Colorado. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her only adopted daughter, Beth Britt, who died at age 11 after a long battle with leukemia, and one brother; Gordon Case. A memorial service will be held at the St. Michaels Museum, located on St. Mary’s square, on Friday, July 18, 2014 at 4:00PM. Inurnment will be private. In lieu of flowers the family request donations to the Talbot Hospice Foundation, 586 Cynwood Drive, Easton, MD 21601, or the St. Michaels Museum P.O. Box 714 St. Michaels, MD. 21663 Arrangements are by the Ostrowski Funeral Home of St. Michaels, MD.
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