Obituary of Colbert J. Britt

"I'm going to take a picture too cause Mr. Britt is the Truth!" So said Lisa Holmes at the Lakeview Day Bar-B-Q 2015 responding to Mr. Britt coming to the bar-b-q (given by Michael Walker, who knows the special position he held with Mrs. Britt concerning Mr. Britt) and taking pictures with his former football players who were in attendance. That said it all. This is a very condensed version of the life of Colbert Jonathan King David, Jr. III. Born April 27, 1939 in Jacksonville, Florida…grandson of Alberta and Rev. K.D. (King David) Britt…son of Susie Alyce McMeekins and Colbert Jonathan Britt, Sr… attended Jacksonville Public Schools, graduating from Stanton High School in 1957…attended Florida A&M College and Florida Memorial College in St. Augustine, Florida in 1961… came to New York in 1962…worked various jobs before settling down at the Malvern Union Free School District #12 in 1972…he had already worked for the Uniondale School District in a couple of positions until 2005…taught physical education at H.T. Herber Middle School…initially coaching football (his first love) and basketball…dropped basketball for track and field, achieving his biggest success with 1996 Olympic Gold Medalist Derrick Adkins, having coached Derrick at Malvern High School…his greatest success with his passion, football came with the 1990 Rutgers Cup Malvern Football Team, coaching along with Ron James…in 1990, he started the Friendship Games – an annual Track and Field winter event…he was a charter member of the Lakeview Youth Federation…the Long Island Coordinator for Track and Field for the Empire State Games at its inception in 1977…coached Adelphi University's Track Team from 1979-1980…received numerous honors including Malvern's Martin Luther King award, Lakeview NAACP and most recently the Key Women of Lakeview…retired from the classroom in 2005 but continued coaching until his health declined… he was gratified to be replaced in football by his son, Kito Lockwood and track to his daughter, Alma and his other son, Onix Salva. He will be truly, for real deeply missed by all who truly loved him. Colbert J. Britt, Jr. was predeceased by his son K. David Jonathan. He has left behind his wife, the former Norma Jean Brandon, daughter Alma Renee Joi Britt, sister Helen Dickerson, sister-in-law, Joyce Brandon who introduced him to her sister, his sons Kito Lockwood and Onix Slava, his "other" daughter Tamika Francis-Fagan, cousin Fred Thaggard, his daughter from his previous marriage Melodee Britt and too many other relatives and children he claimed and who claimed him to name.