John M. Harrington Jr.

1921 - 2015

John Michael, Harrington, Jr. of Winchester on November 8, 2015. Born in East Boston, Massachusetts on July 5, 1921, the son of John M. and Marie B. Harrington. A graduate of the Roxbury Latin School, Harvard College and Harvard Law School. Devoted husband of E. Patricia Harrington, who predeceased him as did a great-grandson, Jack Harrington. He is survived by his six children: John M. Harrington III and his wife Marta of Winchester; Marc of San Francisco, CA; Francis and his wife Lelia of Locust Valley, NY; Ellen of Cambridge; Matthew and his wife Lisa of Bronxville, NY; and Patrick and his wife Francine of Herndon, Virginia. He also is survived by 12 grandchildren: John M. Harrington IV and his wife Lily, Kent and his wife Alison, Christian, Betsy and her husband Don, Lauren, Anne, Charlotte, Jenny, Francis, Griffin, Kathleen and Liam, and three great-granddaughters: Charlotte Patricia, Virginia Lane and Rosemary Lee. A veteran of World War II, he served in Europe as a captain in the Field Artillery of the U.S. Army. Mr. Harrington joined Ropes & Gray in 1950 and remained with the firm as a partner until his retirement in 1993 and served as chair of the litigation department. He was a member of the American Bar Associations Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary, the Overseers Committee to Visit the Harvard Law School and the Massachusetts Judicial Conduct Commission. He also was a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. He served from 1955-1957 as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Massachusetts. His community commitments were numerous including serving as a Trustee of Roxbury Latin School, St. Sebastians Country Day School and Winchester Savings Bank. As a resident of Winchester, he served on the towns Finance Committee, was a Town Meeting member and a Trustee of the Winchester Public Library. He was a longtime member of the Nisi Prius Club, the Harvard Club of Boston and the Union Club of Boston, where he once served as president. A Mass of Christian burial will be held at St. Pauls Church in Cambridge on Monday, November 16 at 10:30 am. Contributions may be made in his honor to the E. Patricia & John M. Harrington scholarship fund of the Newton Country Day School of the Sacred Heart, 785 Centre Street, Newton, Massachusetts 02458. Lane Funeral Home, Winchester, 781.729.2580.