Dorothy Britton's Obituary
Dorothy Czerny Britton of Fremont, CA, passed away October 10, 2020 at the age of 97. Dorothy grew up in Alameda, CA, the daughter of Marie Lund Czerny and Peter Czerny. In 1945 she earned a BA with Honors in Art, from San Jose State College, where she was a member of the Chi Omega Sorority and the Black Masque Honor Society. She later completed an MA degree in Art at Mills College in 1954 while working full-time.
Dorothy Britton taught art at Washington High School in Fremont for 37 years from 1946-1983, inspiring thousands of students to celebrate their creativity and pursue their artistic dreams. Indeed, according to New York artist Kurt Walters, “Mrs. Britton gave me exactly the space and the tools I needed to become an artist. She both set me loose to pursue my own creative vision and reined me in, instilling in me the discipline to become a professional artist.” Dorothy was an accomplished artist in many media, and was an especially passionate ceramicist, leather worker, and jeweler.
In 1952, Dorothy married fellow Alamedan Donald “Curly” Britton. Together for 40 years until his passing in 1993, Don and Dorothy shared an exciting life that included fast cars, stiff drinks, furry felines, and many fortunate friends. Dorothy was the ultimate hostess. She could be found serving coffee as an unofficial flight attendant for the crew when Don worked on 747 test flights as an engineer for United Airlines. Together, and with their friends, they travelled the world - Australia, Africa, Europe, the South Pacific, and Latin America.
She is survived by many close friends and cousins. Donations in memory of Dorothy Britton may be sent to the Washington High School Alumni Foundation, P.O. Box 3033, Fremont, CA 94539, and will benefit the school's Fine Arts Department.
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