Rather than being a day of mourning, the memorial held for late El Camino College coach John Britton acted as a celebration of his life, achievements and impact.

Britton, known as the longtime badminton and former men’s and women’s soccer coach at El Camino College and named South Coast Conference Coach of the Year in 2014, died of a heart attack on Tuesday, April 11. He was 70 years old.

Family, friends and colleagues gathered at the American Martyrs Catholic Church in Manhattan Beach on Saturday, May 6, to celebrate the life of Britton.

Monsignor John Barry, a pastor at the church, was a close personal friend of Britton.

“John Britton was a man who embodied joy and that came out in laughter,” Barry said. “He was the kind of man who would say ‘Think about your troubles, put them into a strong box and then close the lid, sit on it, and laugh.’”

During the mass, Barry talked about Britton’s outgoing personality, his dedication to coaching and athletics and, most importantly, his love for his family and the catholic faith.

Barry encouraged those in the church and virtually attending from Scotland, Britton’s homeland, to smile and not be saddened by the loss of life.

Barry said this is because God simply decided he had a good race and it was his time to ascend to heaven above, referencing scripture, 2 Timothy 4:7.

“I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith,” Britton’s daughter Jaymie Britton read just prior to Barry’s message.

Bill Beverly, another close personal friend of Britton, said he always appeared to be enjoying himself, no matter what he played.

“The thing about John no matter what he played, as competitive as he was, he always looked like he was having fun,” Beverly said. “He just brought a joy: He brought a joy to coaching, he brought a joy to playing, he brought a joy to family time.”

During the final commendations, words of remembrance were spoken by Britton’s son Andrew, who although deeply saddened by the loss of his father, reminisced on the fond, sometimes embarrassing and always cherished memories.

He said the chefs in heaven are cooking up a storm of liver and onions, sardines on toast and beans on toast, a reference to some of his father’s favorite foods.

“He loved life, he lived a good life, he didn’t let things get in the way that maybe other people would, like his prosthetic,” Britton’s wife, Traci said.

Traci told The Union the story of Britton’s prosthetic and about his workhorse personality expressing that Britton would do whatever it took to get things done.

“He told me when we went to get it he said ‘I’m gonna walk out of that room,’ and I laughed at him because I thought nobody does that. But he put it on, he walked on the rails a few times, and he walked out that door, no help, no assistance. That was John,” Traci said.

Traci described her husband as someone who loved everybody, who lived life with happiness and who was always smiling.

According to Traci, Britton was someone who could talk to anybody and create a connection whether it was through jokes, sports or just being himself.

“John made the best of his life, with the little things that he had happen,” Traci said. “He just didn’t let it get in the way of living his life. He loved his family, he loved me, his kids, his grandkids, they were the apples of his eye.”

Editor’s Note:

• Updated a graph about Traci Britton for accuracy on Sunday, May 7, at 10:23 p.m.
• Corrected the proper reference to biblical scripture on Wednesday, May 10 at 12:52 p.m.