Obituary of Mary Harrington

Mary Frances Martin Harrington, of Walnut Creek, CA, passed away after a brief illness on February 4, 2020 at the age 93. Mary was born on November 25, 1926 to Charles and Hulda Martin in Wilton, Iowa and was raised in Maquoketa, Iowa. She attended Maquoketa High School where she met her future husband, Thomas Paul Harrington. They were rival trombone players in the band and later married in 1947. Mary attended Coe College where she began painting under the direction of Marvin Cone. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Art from the University of Iowa in 1948. Mary and Tom’s two daughters were born in the Midwest. In 1959, the family moved to California in an area now known as Granite Bay near Sacramento. Mary was an accomplished seamstress and cook. The family enjoyed the outdoors, where many weekends and summer vacations were spent camping and fishing. They lived there for 24 years, while Tom worked at Aerojet General in Folsom. Mary and Tom retired in 1983 and moved to their home on a cliff above the ocean in Mendocino, CA. Mary continued painting primarily using watercolor and focusing on seascapes. She was a member of the Mendocino Art Center and Mendocino Study Club. Mary was an avid reader and volunteered for many years at the Mendocino Community Library. Their greatest enjoyment during retirement was planning and traveling to many parts of the world. They took trips to Europe, Northern Africa, Australia, Asia, Central and South America and other locations. They were on countless cruises including two trips on the Queen Mary II. Mary moved to Walnut Creek, CA in 2014 to be close to her family. She loved visiting her home in Mendocino as often as possible, where she could sit and enjoy the view. Mary is survived by her daughters, Amy Franco (Don), and Sarah Harrington, her grandchildren, Tony and Lindsay Franco, great granddaughter, Alexandra Franco, sister, Eva Martyn and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Tom Harrington, and three sisters, Liz Noah, Shirley Horn and Polly Espy.  Tom and Mary’s ashes will be scattered at sea in Mendocino, CA. Memorial donations may be made to the Mendocino Community Library, 10591 Williams St., Mendocino, CA 95460 or to the Mendocino Art Center, 45200 Little Lake St., Mendocino, CA 95460.