Former Extension Director Lois Britt dies
By News-Argus Staff
Published in News on June 6, 2005 1:48 PM
Lois Britt, a retired Duplin County Cooperative Extension director, was found dead Saturday afternoon at her home in the Beautancus community.
She was 69.
Mrs. Britt worked for 34 years for the Cooperative Extension Service in Duplin, the last 14 as director. She was the first woman in North Carolina to serve in that capacity.
After retiring from the Extension Service, Mrs. Britt worked for Murphy Farms as vice president of public relations. In 2000, she became special assistant to the president of Murphy-Brown LLC.
Ed Emory, the current Duplin extension director, said that under Mrs. Britt's guidance, the county was recognized as having one of the top 4-H programs in the state.
"It's a great loss to Duplin County and a great loss to the state, Emory said today.
Former Duplin County Manager Ralph Cottle echoed those sentiments. "I don't know of anybody that has done more for Duplin County than Lois Britt," Cottle said.
"She touched the lives of many people," said Duplin County Commissioner Larry Howard.
Mrs. Britt served on the National Pork Producers Board of Directors, the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission, the N.C. Agriculture Advancement Consortium, the Rural Economic Development Center Board of Directors, and the Executive Committee of the N.C. Forum for Research and Economic Education. She was a past president of the N.C. Agribusiness Council.
Outside of agriculture, Mrs. Britt served on the University of North Carolina Board of Governors and was appointed to the Chancellor's Board of Visitors for N.C. State University. She also served on the N.C. State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Alumni and Friends Society Board of Advisors and the board of directors for UNC Public Television.
She was a big supporter of Mount Olive College.
"Lois touched many organizations and many people in North Carolina, and Mount Olive College was a beneficiary," said Dr. William Byrd, president of the college, where Mrs. Britt served on the Capital Campaign Committee.
"We are grateful for her to the time that she spent with us, the advice that she had to offer, and for being our friend," Byrd said.
Among her many awards were the N.C. Pork Council Hall of Fame, N.C. 4-H Lifetime Achievement Award, NCSU Watauga Medal, the 2003 Volunteer Service Award given by the National Agricultural Alumni and Development Association, the 2002 Distinguished Alumnus for Agriculture by the N.C. State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the National Association of Extension 4-H Agents Distinguished Service Award and the Order of the Long Leaf Pine.
Visitation will be from 6 until 9 p.m. tonight at Tyndall Funeral Home in Mount Olive. Her funeral will be held Tuesday at 4 p.m. at College Hall on the campus of Mount Olive College.