Baylus Richard "Dick" Albritton, Jr., 86, passed away November 23, 2015 at the Arbor Nursing Home in Ridgeland, MS, where he was a resident for the past two years. Visitation will be held at Wright and Ferguson Funeral Home, 106 Cynthia St., Clinton, MS from 2:00pm to 3:00pm on Sunday, November 29, 2015, followed by a memorial service starting at 3:00pm in the chapel.

Mr. Albritton was born on July 9, 1929 in Clarksdale, MS. After graduating from Clinton High School, he earned a bachelor's degree in physics from Mississippi College, followed by a master's degree in physics from Louisiana State University. He married Barbara Lovell of Clinton, MS on June 5, 1950, and raised three children in Silver Spring, MD before moving the family to Huntsville, AL. After Barbara's passing in 1987, he married Ann Overstreet Kitchings of Clinton, MS in 1988. They returned to Clinton soon after, enjoying many happy years together until her death in October 2014.

Throughout his life, Dick was known for his sense of humor and unforgettable laugh. He was a gardener, a tinkerer and a prankster who was always looking to make a joke. He grew blueberries and other fruits and vegetables in his garden for years and started his passion for beekeeping as a child with his father. His inventive mind never stopped, and he was always thinking of new and better ways to fix things.

Dick had a long career serving his country by working in the development and testing of US Navy, US Army and foreign missile weapon systems. His path began at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab where he participated in the testing of Terrier and Tartar missiles aboard various Navy vessels. Dick also helped develop the first digital air defense fire control computer as part of the Typhon Weapon System. While at Stanford Research Institute, he evaluated various ballistic missile defense systems and studies. Later, as manager of the anti-satellite (ASAT) system engineering and analysis group at Teledyne Brown Engineering, he assessed multiple concepts that utilized a variety of ground-based and onboard sensor types. After retiring, Dick had the opportunity to spend more time tending to his vegetable gardens and his beloved honey bees.

Dick was preceded in death by his parents, Baylus Richard Albritton, Sr. and Martha Burson Albritton; first wife, Barbara Lovell Albritton; second wife, Ann Overstreet Albritton; and brother, Joseph Albritton. He is survived by daughters Doree and Lynn; a son, Richard; his five grandchildren; and his stepchildren Kathy Kitchings Nowell, Karen Kitchings Higginbotham and Hal Kitchings, Jr.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be given for the Provine Chapel pews at Mississippi College or the Clinton Visitor Center.