ROANOKE TIMES 

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, September 12, 1993                   TAG: 9309130131
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: D-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

OBIT BRITTS, LAWRENCE P. ``LARRY''

BRITTS, Lawrence P. `Larry`, 85, of Roanoke, died Thursday, September 9, 1993. A son of Samuel Peyton Britts and Maggie Britts Martin, he was born in Roanoke. He was preceded in death by his wife, Helen Rhoades Britts. Mr. Britts was employed by and played baseball for the N & W Railway from 1927 to 1929. He served as Assistant Coach of Baseball at George Washington University in 1933. Mr. Britts was a charter member of the Roanoke Lifesaving Crew, headed by Captain Julian S. Wise. The crew was formed in 1928 and was the world's first volunteer lifesaving crew. He was among the first employees hired by the Federal Government in 1940 during the construction of the Ordnance Ammunition Plant at Radford. He was responsible for auditing the payrolls and payments to the employees. Mr. Britts served with the Army Engineers in Europe during World War II, earning battle stars for France, Belgium, Holland and Germany. In December 1945, he was employed by the Army General Staff, the Pentagon, and retired in 1970 as a senior logistical executive. From 1970 to 1978 he worked in the field of problem drinking, which included the preparation of a program directed by President Nixon to help employees of all Federal Agencies, including the Armed Services. Mr. Britts prepared the program for the United States Department of Interior's 80,000 employees. He was one of the first employees of Fairfax County's Alcohol Safety Action Program (ASAP). Later he served as a counselor for Fairfax County and the Commonwealth of Virginia regarding problem drinkers. Mr. Britts was a member of Huntington Court United Methodist Church. Surviving are one daughter, Donna Marie Pierce of Chuluota, Fla.; two grandchildren; one brother, Charles I. Britts of Satellite Beach, Fla.; two sisters, Margaret B. Lubinski of Roanoke and Nancy B. Keister of Fairfield Glade, Tenn. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to Huntington Court United Methodist Church, 3333 Williamson Road, NW, Roanoke, VA 24012 or Roanoke Emergency Medical Services (Roanoke Lifesaving Crew), 374 Day Avenue, Roanoke, VA 24016. Funeral services will be conducted at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Oakey's North Chapel by Dr. Alton M. Washington. Interment will follow in Fair View Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Monday at Oakey's North Chapel. 


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