Hazel Downs Brittingham, Lewes historian, author
Hazel Downs Brittingham, 97, passed away peacefully in the comfort of her home Monday, Dec. 30, 2024, surrounded by her loving family.
Born in her parent's family home in Lewes Nov. 12, 1927, Hazel lived her entire life in Lewes, although she did travel to many various locations, including Lewes, England, and Hoorn, Holland.
Hazel began her career by babysitting, ushering at the local theatre, and working at Fox's 5 & 10. However, after she graduated from Lewes High School and started working at the Sussex Trust Company in 1945, she developed a taste for local history. As the assistant treasurer, she worked with mortgages, researching deeds and property records with some records dating back to the 1600s. She became obsessed with discovering who the owners were, where they lived, and what life was like for them.
In 1947, Hazel married the love of her life, Emory B. Brittingham, of the Lewes Dairy family. In 1948, they purchased and ran the Lewes restaurant affectionately known as "Britts" for seven years. Hazel resigned from the Sussex Trust Company in 1952 for the birth of their son.
In 1955, Hazel began working as the educational secretary at the Lewes Special School District and then Cape Henlopen School District (when the educational systems of Lewes, Milton, and Rehoboth merged in 1969), where she also managed public relations and press releases until her retirement in 1980. She also wrote freelance articles for the Daily Whale, served as the state recording secretary for the PTA (1963), and from 1969-73 was the sponsor of the Sigma and Xi Mu chapters of the Beta Sigma Phi sorority.
As a devout Christian who has never missed a Sunday's church attendance, Hazel's connection to Groome United Methodist Church began with her baptism as an infant. Over the years, the Downs family offered not only financial support but manual labor and skill as well. Church activities became the foundation of the Downs family. Hazel served as a Sunday school teacher, chairman of the Commission on Education, chairman of the church's Council on Ministries, superintendent of the church school, chairman of the trustees, and a long-term choir member. She was recognized as Groome's historian and created a 32-page booklet detailing the history of the church for its 100th anniversary. She became a member of the Methodist Church's Peninsula Conference Commission on Archives and History, researching the history of Methodism in the Lewes area as well as the U.S. Hazel was also very active in the restoration and preservation of the beautiful stained-glass windows in Groome's sanctuary.
Hazel was a founding president of DeVries Business and Professional Women. She served as a state vice president and program chair, and continued her membership until her retirement. Through her affiliation, she was able to travel and meet with various dignitaries. Hazel had the honor to attend the swearing-in of Margaret Chase Smith, the first woman elected to the Senate without first having been appointed to serve, and the first woman to serve in both houses of Congress. Hazel was also a charter member of Lewes Historical Society and a founding member and director of the Friends of the Lewes Library. She served as a member and secretary on the Lewes Planning and Zoning Commission, and played an active role in planning activities to mark the nation's bicentennial in 1976, including designing the walking tour of the City of Lewes, which has also been used by the Chamber of Commerce for various other celebrations. She assisted in planning activities as well for Lewes's 350th anniversary in 1981, the 1984 bicentennial of the formal organization of the Methodist Episcopal Church in America, and Lewes's 375th anniversary in 2006.
Known fondly as the go-to girl for all things related to Lewes’s history, she liked to say she "knew just enough to be dangerous." Hazel was instrumental in promoting the community's understanding of its role in American history through her extensive knowledge of Lewes and the surrounding area. In 2002, Lewes Historical Society awarded her the Dr. James E. Marvil Lifetime Service Award for her over 20 years of service to the society and its mission of historic preservation. Hazel received national recognition for her comprehensive collection of documents and photographs of Lewes which has been on display at the Lewes Historical Society and the Lewes Public Library, and featured in historical journals and the Cape Gazette, as well as her countless hours of research, talks, and workshops to enhance local appreciation and understanding of the past. As the 2007 recipient of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Women in American History Award, her name and a description of her contributions to American history have been placed in the Americana Collection of the DAR Museum in Washington, D.C.
Hazel has been the recipient of numerous other recognitions and awards, such as the Community Citizen Award presented by Henlopen Grange, Woman of Historic Note presented by DeVries Business and Professional Women's Club, Lewes Chamber of Commerce's Grand Marshal of Lewes Christmas Parade, Woman in American History presented by the Col. David Hall/Delaware Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Lewes Historical Society's Excellence in Historic Preservation Community Service Award, honorary membership in Beebe Medical Center (now Beebe Healthcare) Auxiliary, Lewes/Rehoboth Rotary Club, Delaware Technical & Community College and Owens Campus Alumni Association's Women's Day honoree, and Greater Lewes Foundation's Community Service Award. She was inducted into the Delaware Maritime Hall of Fame, which is marked by a glossy granite monument in Lewes Canalfront Park, and was instrumental in gaining recognition for the unknown sailors’ cemetery with placement of a historic marker at Cape May-Lewes Ferry Terminal. She was honored with the naming of the Hazel Brittingham Collections Center at Lewes Historical Society's History Museum, the mayor-awarded Hazel Brittingham Appreciation Day July 27, 2017, and the Major Nathaniel Mitchell Daughters of the American Revolution Woman in the Arts Recognition Award.
Hazel authored two books. The first, “John Clowes Jr., Broadkill Patriot,” a history of Sussex County during the Revolutionary War, which she wrote for Milton Historical Society, took five years of attention to provide an in-depth treatment of the times in Sussex County before, during, and following the Revolutionary War. Her second book, “Lantern on Lewes, Where the Past is Present,” a collection of historical vignettes, was a collaborative effort with Elaine Ippolito. Hazel also joined with other friends to produce a journal, now titled Lewes History, for Lewes Historical Society annually since 1998.
Hazel provided lectures and other speaking engagements, both on behalf of the Delaware Humanities Forum and on her own, for organizations such as Elderhostel programs at the College of Marine Studies, University of Delaware from 1992-99, Lewes Historical Society, Henlopen Grange, Lewes library, the Lewes, Rehoboth and Zwaanendael museums, the DeVries Business and Professional Women's Club, and multiple churches. She had a fondness for the Cape Henlopen Lighthouse, and had amassed an enormous collection of photographs and data with many of her lectures and presentations centered on that topic. She also spoke of local historic legends including famous and sometimes infamous local characters, as well as Lewes's rich maritime history. From 1984-92, Hazel wrote monthly articles for the publication Peninsula Pacemaker, sharing her stories of Lewes life and history, as well as providing information on landmarks in the surrounding areas.
Hazel credited her meticulous organizational skills as the secret to her success as a collector. She had files for every topic which she maintained regularly and could pull information quickly to answer any question that arose. She donated over 50 boxes of papers and photographs, including a large collection of photographs of Cape Henlopen Lighthouse, as well as physical artifacts to Lewes Historical Society's archival center, which now bears her name as the Hazel Brittingham Collections Center. The volumes of records, data, photos, letters, and articles that have been created from her research have led to Hazel herself being considered a professional resource.
Hazel was a member of the Sussex County chapter of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis from 1949-67, serving as their chairman from 1964-67. She was also the fundraising chairman for Sussex County March of Dimes.
Hazel is survived by her son, Alan Kim Brittingham and his wife Sue; six grandchildren, Judith Brittingham, Billie Jo Cooper (Guy) and Matthew Brittingham (Molly), Mechelle Rust (Victor), and Tracy Brittingham and J. Keith Brittingham, all residents of Sussex County; and 10 great-grandchildren.
She was predeceased by her husband of 50 years, Emory Brittingham; her parents, Sidney and Mary Downs; her sister, Helen D. Morris; and her brother, Sidney L. Downs Jr.
Funeral services with Rev. Rich Evans officiating will be held at 11 a.m., Monday Jan. 6, at Parsell Funeral Homes & Crematorium, Atkins-Lodge Chapel, 16961 Kings Hwy., Lewes, where a viewing will begin at 10 a.m. Burial will be private in the family lot at Bethel Methodist Cemetery, Lewes. Anyone unable to attend the services may view the livestream at: webcasts.lifetributes.com/1345032.
A viewing will also be held from 3 to 5 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 5, at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, contributions are suggested to the Greater Lewes Foundation, Attn: Fourth Street Preserve, P.O. Box 110, Lewes, DE 19958.
