Marianne Britton
- Published: January 26, 2017
Marianne Britton
Marianne Britton died in the wee hours of Jan. 17 after a short illness. She was born July 26, 1941, in Fort Knox, Ky., but spent her youth as an Army brat, moving every couple of years — which taught her to make friends fast, a trait she cultivated her entire life. She came to Yellow Springs in the ’70s to work as an assistant to Jon Hudson, sculptor, and decided she was home. Many in Yellow Springs remember her from her almost 20 years as the proprietor of the Morgan House Bed and Breakfast.
She was a prolific fabric artist who used embroidery and applique to create wall hangings, pictures and quilts with a stunning level of detail. She had several shows of her work at Would You Could You In A Frame Gallery and at the Yellow Springs Brewery. Taught to do hand work by her grandmother, she always had a piece to work on to “keep my hands busy.”
Marianne put her heart and soul into any undertaking. She gardened with abandon; enjoyed looking for special recipes to cook or bake and share; found eclectic pieces “dumpster diving” and antiquing; and dearly loved snuggling with her Jack Russell terrier, Gregory Bunter Rabb. When asked if she was ready to go just about anywhere, she would reply, “I was born ready.” And so she was.
For many years she enjoyed adventures with her companion, Hank Cates. Together they rebuilt an old log cabin, log by log, on the outskirts of Berea, Ky.; traveled to China; and fell in love with the Isle of Skye in Scotland. With Hank she was a big supporter of the Dayton Opera Guild and the Diana Duteil Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Marianne is survived by her brother Dave (and wife Karen), from California; a nephew, David, and his family, also from California; her cousin Ed Wallace (and wife Joann), from Pennsylvania; and a wide circle of loving friends from Yellow Springs and Dayton.
There will be a gathering to share memories of Marianne at the Glen Helen Building on Saturday, Feb. 4, from 2–4 p.m.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Yellow Springs Arts Council or the Diana Duteil Memorial Scholarship Fund in Marianne’s name.
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