Carlyle Barritt

Carlyle Westbrook Barritt, 91, of Spartanburg died September 2, 2012. He was a retired Professor of Romance Languages from Washington and Lee University where he taught from 1952 to 1991 and was always recognized by his trademark black beret. Born March 31, 1921, Dr. Barritt was the son of the late Robert Carlyle Barritt, a portrait and landscape artist, and Maude Sinclaire Westbrook Barritt, also an artist. He grew up in West Pittston, Pennsylvania on the banks of the Susquehanna River. Living close to the river made Westbrook an avid outdoorsman all his life, just like his beloved grandfather Walter Barritt. Westbrook was an Eagle Scout and spent many summers at Acahela, the Scout camp in the Pocono Mountains. He became nature director and worked at the camp after college and his service in World War II. His knowledge of plants and animals was encyclopedic. He often took long canoe and kayak trips on the Susquehanna and long hikes in the nearby Poconos in his youth. Westbrook majored in French literature and English literature at Washington and Lee where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. After volunteering for Army service, he was called up for training in February of 1943 and was graduated in absentia. In basic training, he was the best rifle marksman in the camp. He was trained in Army Intelligence, learning the German language and the art of aerial photograph interpretation. For his service in the European Theater, he was awarded five Bronze Stars. Westbrook entered Harvard University for graduate work in Spanish after teaching at Washington and Lee, Emory and Muhlenberg colleges after the end of World War II. He decided to transfer to the University of Virginia where he earned the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in linguistics. There he was a member of the Raven Society. He married Mabel Cunningham Sites of Harrisonburg, Virginia on August 24, 1949. After living in the Charlottesville area, they moved to Lexington in 1952 when Westbrook began to teach in the Romance languages department, primarily classes in Spanish language and literature. A lifelong Presbyterian, Westbrook was active as a deacon and elder in Lexington Presbyterian Church as was his wife. Westbrook was an associate member of First Presbyterian in Spartanburg. He was also active in Habitat for Humanity, working on some 18 houses in the Rockbridge area. An expert craftsman, he built several long rifles. He and his wife and daughters loved target shooting with pistol, rifle, long rifle, and shotgun. A reader and writer of poetry all his life, Westbrook published a volume of verse in 1973 called Scrimshaw. In his later years as a resident of Kendal of Lexington, Westbrook joined a weekly poetry group. He was especially fond of poets Christina Rossetti and Rudyard Kipling and could recite many poems in several languages from his incredible memory. Westbrook and Mabel were married 54 years when Mabel died in 2004 of Alzheimer's disease. Their younger daughter Julia Westbrook Barritt had died in 1968 at age 12 after a lifelong struggle with cystic fibrosis. A brother, Robert Cameron Barritt, died in 1969. Westbrook is survived by his daughter Winifred Barritt Walsh of Spartanburg, SC and her husband William E. Walsh; two grandsons, Westbrook Walsh and his wife Elizabeth of Alexandria, VA, and C. Barritt Walsh and his wife Kannika of Greenville, SC, a great-grandson William Russell Walsh, a sister, Joan Barritt McDougall of Tallahassee, FL, two nieces and many, many friends. A Celebration of the Resurrection will be held Tuesday, September 4, 2012 at the chapel of First Presbyterian Church at 1:30 PM conducted by the Rev. Dr. William L. Arthur. The family will receive friends after the service in the church parlor. No flowers, please. Memorials to Habitat for Humanity, 2270 S. Pine Street, Spartanburg, SC 29302. Floyd's North Church Street Chapel To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Carlyle Westbrook Barritt please visit our Sympathy Store.