Kenneth George Britton

June 9, 1937 – December 25, 2022 

The family of Kenneth George Britton are saddened to share the news of his passing on December 25 at HSC following a stroke 12 days prior. Ken was comforted by his loving family in his last days and hours.

Ken leaves to mourn his wife Dean Britton; children Randy (Angela) and Calvin (Tracey) and their mother Lil, and Michael (Jo-Anne) and Maureen; grandchildren Mike, Mitchell (Jenn), Marcus, Hilary (Ian), Grace (Josh), Solomon, Kiefer, and Elizabeth; greatgrandchildren Madeline, Owen, and Emmett; extended family and many, many friends. Ken was predeceased by infant son Gerry, his parents, and brother Lorne.

His family have shed many tears leading up to his loss, but are choosing to go forward in celebration of the wonderful life he lived and the many ways he impacted the lives of others.

Ken was born to George and Chris Britton in Winnipeg, and spent an adventurous and sometimes mischievous childhood in Charleswood exploring the fields, forest and river with those who would go on to be life-long friends. A lifetime later he still looked back on his first jobs as a Winnipeg Free Press carrier and clerk for Bloomer’s grocery with a sense of commitment and service that would go on to define his life.

He proudly joined the Winnipeg Police Department in 1959 and worked to live up to the respect his chosen profession deserved. As a young recruit, he walked the beat summer and winter (wearing a buffalo coat) getting to know members of the community, and helping to address concerns before they became problems. Later, assigned to a cruiser, he was often required to deliver fast-arriving babies, comfort citizens suffering unspeakable injuries and losses, and talk down desperate people facing life crises. As he advanced in the ranks, he took on more community-related duties, such as coordinating security for the visiting pandas in 1989.

His commitment to policing was tested in 1965 when he was unexpectedly and severely attacked while on the job. The assault put him in the hospital for days and left injuries that would affect him psychologically and physically for the rest of his life. Still, he would not be deterred from his work. Ken returned and rebuilt confidence in those he had sworn to protect, and himself. Over his 30-year career, he forged strong bonds with his co-workers and earned high regard from both his superiors and direct reports. And it was for them, in part, that decades after the assault he fought for and won one of the first compensation cases in Winnipeg brought on by an officer for PTSD sustained on the job, opening the way for others to acknowledge and be recognized for this professional risk.

Ken only got busier upon his retirement. For the first of his many subsequent careers he became a school bus driver, a high school driver ed instructor, a hydro meter reader. Later he earned a Class 1 license and crossed North America many times over 10-plus years as a long-haul driver, perhaps because he had already met everyone nearby and needed to make new friends. After his second retirement, he joined Winnipeg Transit as the trusted chair of the accident adjudication board.

Outside of working hours, Ken was a committed volunteer, both formally and in small ways that had huge impacts. In years past, he called upon his connections in the community to be a top ticket seller for the Police Association Fundraising Ball and played sports and fished with youth as part of the Police and Pal community program. He was a member of the Masons, the Royal Canadian Legion, and the Charleswood Historical Society and actively took part in all their work. Until COVID, Ken was a volunteer driver, for almost 20 years, for Cancer Care transporting patients for treatment. He would gladly encourage his passengers to be strong by recounting how he overcame lung and colon cancer through treatment and personal determination. He also committed himself to supporting ailing friends and family, providing friendship and advice to newcomers and strangers, and helping in any way he could—including arranging for the remains a young leukemia victim (who dreamed of being an officer) to be transferred in a police cruiser for final internment.

Throughout Ken’s busy life, home and family were always his refuge. He cherished those he loved, and valued the love they gave in return. Both through actions and shared wisdom, he wanted to protect those closest to him, even to the chagrin of his children and grandchildren in their teenage years. There was no end to the pride he had for them. He invested himself in keeping his home and yard in top condition. Perhaps there was no better housepainter, although many faster. He also took great pride in his garden and the harvest it would provide every year, or the quarry he would bring home from occasional hunting or fishing trips. Together with Dean, he enjoyed travelling to far-off destinations, to visit friends across the country, or to see Randy in Australia. Ken and Dean also enjoyed weekends trips to their trailer in Pinawa for many summers.

He lived a full and fulfilling life and strived to make the world a better place until the day of his stroke.

If friends so desire, donations can be made to the Friends of the Assiniboine Forest (through the Charleswood Rotary Club) for the installation of a bench along the trail, the Charleswood Historical Society, or a charity of choice.

The family wishes to the thank the emergency responders and staff of the HSC for their compassionate care.

Cremation and a family service has taken place. A gathering of friends will be announced at a later date.