Leonard Louis Britten

Leonard was born on August 10th, 1952 in Tampa, FL. He graduated from Hillsborough High School in 1970 and University of South Florida in 1974. While attending USF, he was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity and met his wife, Paula Humphries Britten. They married August 16th, 1975, then moved to Atlanta, GA where Leonard went on to graduate from Emory University College of Dentistry in 1979. He practiced as a General Dentist for 42 years in Tampa and Lutz, FL and served as a team Dentist for the University of South Florida Athletic Department for over 25 years. Leonard’s achievements include Hillsborough County Dental Hygienists Association “Dentist of the Year” in 2003, International College of Dentists Fellowship in 2005, American College of Dentists Fellowship in 2007, and the Hillsborough County Dental Association “Life Achievement Award” in 2015. He served on the Florida Board of Dentistry from 2013-2015 and was a proud member of the American Dental Association, Florida Dental Association, West Coast Dental Association, Hillsborough County Dental Association, American Association of Dental Examiners and Florida Academy of Dental Practice Administration. Leonard was passionate about serving his community and spent countless hours volunteering his time and services to care for others. He was respected and loved by his patients, staff and colleagues and cared deeply for each and every one of them.

Leonard’s hobbies included golfing, hunting, fishing, and collecting vintage cars. He enjoyed the outdoors and appreciated a good wood-burning fire. An avid sports fan, he rarely missed an opportunity to root for his USF Bulls, Florida Gators, and Tampa Bay teams. He spent over a decade coaching his boys in Lutz Little League and Lutz Chiefs Football; he never missed a practice or a game. Above all else, Leonard loved spending time with friends and family. He once said of all the accomplishments and titles held in his life, his proudest was Grandpa. He was a gentle, loving and dedicated family man, whose generosity knew no limits. Leonard will be most remembered for his intense love for his family and friends, passion for serving others, sense of humor, and eternal optimism.

Leonard is preceded in death by his parents Anna Cooper Britten and Dale Britten.

Leonard is survived by his wife of 46 years, Paula Humphries Britten of Lutz, FL; children, Matthew (Jessica) Britten of Tampa, FL, Todd (Meg) Britten of Tampa, FL, and Nicholas (Larisa) Britten of Lutz, FL; siblings, Paul Britten, Bruce (Cindy) Britten, Holly Britten Boggs; and grandchildren Benjamin Britten, Samuel Britten, Daniel Britten, Lillian Britten, Everett Britten, Elle Britten, Blair Britten.

Funeral services will be Friday, January 14th at Lake Magdalene United Methodist Church at 2902 W. Fletcher Avenue, Tampa, FL 33618. Visitation will be held from 2:30pm–3:30pm followed by a service from 3:30pm–4:30pm. To attend virtually, you may livestream the service directly here:

https://youtu.be/IfOSuDUQBKY, or via the church YouTube channel here: www.youtube.com/c/lakemagdaleneumc.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be sent to the Florida Dental Association Foundation in honor of Dr. Leonard Britten. Memorial gifts will support one of Leonard’s favorite causes, the Florida Mission of Mercy, a charitable annual event that provides free dental care to the underserved population that would otherwise go without care. Donations can be mailed to 545 John Knox Road, Tallahassee, FL 32303 or made online at: https://fdafoundation.salsalabs.org/donate/index.html (General Donation).

The family of Leonard wishes to extend our sincere thanks to Florida Cancer Specialists, Pepin Heart Institute, St. Joseph’s Hospital, and the countless medical professionals who cared for Leonard during his fight against gastric cancer.