Cynthia D. Britto

Cynthia Doris Britto May 25, 1933 – December 23, 2020 At 87 years of age, Cynthia D. Britto (nee Colaco) was granted her angel wings on December 23, 2020 in Occoquan, Virginia. Her final days were spent among family and friends, who Cynthia had touched throughout her very memorable life. Cynthia’s funeral service will be at St. John the Beloved Catholic Church, 6420 Linway Terrace, McLean Virginia, 22101 on Saturday, January 2, 2021 and will commence with the viewing and eulogies from 11:30 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. EST (accommodation allowance of up to 250 people) followed by the funeral mass from 1.00 p.m. to 2.00 p.m. EST. CDC recommended protocols such as social distancing, masks, and hand sanitizing will be observed. Rev. John Melmer will be officiating the funeral mass. In order to have her loved ones across the globe participate in the celebration of her life, the service will be streamed online via https://livestream.com/stjohnmclean Cynthia was born on May 25, 1933 in India. Her parents were John S. Colaco and Letetia D. Colaco. She graduated with a Bachelors in English from St. Agnes College, and thereafter Bachelors in Education from St. Ann’s College in Mangalore. Shortly after graduation, she met and married the handsome and dashing Anselm F. Britto, an officer at Barclays Bank in Kampala, Uganda. Cynthia was vivacious, vibrant, and not afraid to take on new endeavors. In her life, she achieved gender equality through education and was passionate about empowering others. At St. Joseph’s Boy’s High School, she was highly acclaimed by the students for being a teacher par excellence. Her spirituality and organizational qualities were recognized, when she was nominated to be the secretary to Pope Paul VI during his visit to Uganda in 1967. This appointment brought her deep spiritual fulfilment. She was a gifted and skilled athlete and easily learnt the sport of field hockey after the birth of her third child. She successfully went on to represent the Ugandan Women’s National Hockey team in international tournaments. Her tenacity in the face of adversity was evident by the way she built a joyful and successful life for her family after they were uprooted from Uganda in 1972. To family and friends, Cynthia was admired for her compassion, generous spirit, indefatigable energy, and zest for life. She balanced her career, children, and athletics with grace and determination, while leaving a lasting impact on the lives of people across continents. Cynthia was one of seven children and is survived by her siblings; Lorna Britto and Sydney Colaco. Her husband Anselm F. Britto, preceded her in death in November 2018. The legacy of her life is celebrated by her four children: Prem G. Britto (Michele), Anil J. Britto (Pia), A. Denis Britto (Carol), Mala A. Britto (Pratap); ten grandchildren: Aloke J. Prabhu, Pranoy J. Prabhu, Sonali M. Prabhu, Aneeka T. Britto, Yohann B. Britto, Madeleine M. Britto, Nicholas L.J. Britto, Alexandra C.M. Britto, Dia C. Britto, Olivia M. Britto; her aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends. Our gratitude is extended to Miller Funeral Home and Crematory in Woodbridge, Virginia for the arrangements made for our dear mother. In lieu of flowers, you may make a charitable donation to Crest International, which is a Mangalore, India based charity for children suffering from cancer. Information about the charitable organization can be found at CREST International, Inc https://www.crestinternational.org/ We appreciate your wishes, prayers and condolences.

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Cynthia D. Britto

May 25, 1933 - December 23, 2020