James A. Brittain Sr.

James A. Brittain Sr., 87, lifelong resident of Clarks Summit, died Tuesday morning at Commonwealth Hospice at Regional Hospital of Scranton. He was the widower of Ruth Crosby Brittain. The couple married on June 2, 1962.

Born in Clarks Summit, he was the son of the late George and Katherine Horton Brittain. He was a 1945 graduate of the Clarks Summit/Clarks Green Joint schools and also achieved Eagle Scout. He was a proud Army veteran and, after his military service, received three years of specialized training at the Wharton School Extension of the University of Pennsylvania at night after working with his accountant father during the day. He had worked in the accounting department of the Erie-Lackawanna Railroad and left in 1953 to work with his father in his accounting business. He also traveled west after his military service with a friend and worked in the woods for the Weyerhouse Timber Co. in the Mount St. Helen's Tree Farm, residing in a logging camp. Prior to his retirement, he was the Clarks Summit Tax Collector for many years and also a self- employed Public Accountant. Jim also had private clients, including Calvey Enterprises, American Janitor and Walczyk Lumber Co.

He was a longtime member of the Church of Epiphany in Glenburn, where he was baptized in 1928, and later raised his family to be part of the Epiphany family. Volunteering was a lifelong commitment. Jim had been the longest living member of the Clarks Summit Fire Company for 70 years, where he served as chief and treasurer for 43 years. He was the first president of the Abington Business Men's Association, past president of the Abington Rotary Club and received their Paul Harris Fellow Award, a 68-year member of Waverly Masonic Lodge F&AM, 32nd Degree. He was also a member of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, Valley of Scranton, and the Irem Shriners International. Jim also served for the William Quin Lake Carey Volunteer Fire Company.

Ruth and Jim enjoyed summers with their children and friends at Lake Carey, and had a favorite pastime of fishing, boating and dancing on Saturday nights. As an avid hunter and sportsman, he built a hunting cabin in Bradford County and was a founding member of the Summit Sportsman Club. Favorite family vacations included camping at Beach Lake with the gang and boating/fishing trips to the 1000 Islands. Jim spent his last few months being well cared for at Gino J. Merli Veterans Center.

Surviving are a son, James Jr. and wife, Kairon, Royersford; three daughters, Nancy Brittain Jenkins, Tunkhannock; Linda Brittain Floyd, Bel Air, Md.; and Kathy Brittain and wife, Dianna Dean, Falls; nine grandchildren, James III, Kristi, Sabrina and Cassandra Brittain, Elizabeth and Robert Jenkins, Jacqueline and Bradley Floyd and James Brittain Dean; and a sister, Alice McFalls from Summerville, S.C. James is also survived by many nieces, nephews, in-laws and close friends. For a man of so few words, Jim touched the lives of many.

Jim was also preceded in death by brothers, George and Bob; and sisters, Ruth Maddock, Katharine Smith and Dorothy Brittain.

The funeral will be Saturday at 3 p.m. from the Lawrence E. Young Funeral Home, 418 S. State St., Clarks Summit, with services by Father Graham Cliff, interim priest at Church of Epiphany, with a Masonic service at 2:45 p.m. Interment will be at Clarks Green Cemetery.

Friends may call 12 to 2:30 p.m. prior to the service. The members of the Clarks Summit Volunteer Fire Company will present their memorial tribute following the service.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Clarks Summit Fire Company, 321 Bedford St., Clarks Summit, PA 18411.