By MICHAEL STRAND

Salina Journal

ELLSWORTH -- Dane Britton, for years a fixture in the life of central Kansas, died Monday.

Britton, 56, most recently served on the Salina Planning Commission, but also had been on the Ellsworth City Commission, as well as on numerous local boards, including Salina Community Theatre and Smoky Hills Public Television, and was known for being instrumental in bringing the Ellsworth Correctional Facility to his hometown.

The Brittons "are a significant family for Ellsworth and for central Kansas," said Rep. Josh Svaty, D-Ellsworth. "They've been here for a very long time, and have contributed their lives to moving Ellsworth and central Kansas forward."

Britton played football at New Mexico Highlands State University, and graduated from the University of Houston with a degree in criminal justice and political science, joining the Houston Police Department in 1973. Two years later, he was named Police Officer of the Year for Houston and Harris County.

He returned to Ellsworth in 1980 and was named president and chief executive officer of Citizens State Bank. He later worked as a broker for Edward Jones in Ellsworth and Salina, and then for AG Edwards in Salina.

He suffered a stroke in December of 2004, and became a resident of the Wilson Nursing Home; he had a second stroke in early March.

In all of his endeavors, those who knew him said, he always worked hard to make a difference.

"What he did for Ellsworth was incredible," said Nick Slechta, a longtime friend and director of the Ellsworth Chamber of Commerce. "He was very proficient in everything he did -- I'm sorry he passed. I don't think there's a church in Ellsworth that will hold everybody who will come" to his funeral.

"He put so much gusto into every part of his work," Slechta said.

Passion to his ideas

"The thing that most impressed me about Dane was that when he was presented with a project that resonated with him, he would bring passion to it -- even if it wasn't his idea," said Michael Spicer, managing artistic director of Salina Community Theatre.

Spicer also said he appreciated what Britton brought to the theater in the way of management and capital planning.

"He wasn't a theater guy, he didn't do a lot of theater, but he attended a lot and was knowledgeable -- he brought a lot to it," Spicer said.

Spicer said it's sometimes proven difficult for people who live outside Salina to stay involved, but that once Britton made a commitment, he stuck to it.

"We often try to have people who have a regional connection, and it's not always possible," Spicer said. "But when he was on our theater board, he was very committed to accomplishment."

Additionally, Spicer said, "He wasn't simply an ideas kind of guy -- he did come up with good ideas, but he was also about making it happen -- how can we make it happen."

"He had -- and this speaks to his family, too -- a strategic mind," Svaty said. "There are all sorts of different leadership types, and his is strategic."

His work in bringing the state prison to Ellsworth is a good example, Svaty said, noting that when the issue was first under discussion, building a state prison wasn't universally seen as good for the town.

"You need those sort of people, who can look 20 years out, and say that in the long run, this is going to be a great thing," Svaty said. "Dane had that over and over again."

n Reporter Mike Strand can be reached at 822-1418 or by e-mail at mstrand@salina.com.

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