Margaret Hemingway Harrington

RYE - Mrs. William F. Harrington, née Margaret Hemingway, died peacefully at her home in Rye on Oct. 29, 2014. Mrs. Harrington, who was known as Margo to friends and family, was 98 years old. She was born and raised in Auburn, N.Y., and attended the Madeira School in Washington, D.C., and Finch College in New York City.A longtime Seacoast resident, Mrs. Harrington served on the board of the Portsmouth Hospital Guild and was president of the Portsmouth District Nursing Association.She had a keen interest in historic preservation and presided over the Guild of Strawbery Banke and sat on the board of Strawbery Banke. She established and served on the board to oversee operations of the Warner House, and served on several other boards, including the Moffatt Ladd House. Mrs. Harrington also served on the New Castle Board of Selectmen for two terms.Mrs. Harrington was married to the late Portsmouth attorney William F. Harrington Jr., the former municipal court judge of New Castle and president of the New Hampshire Bar Association.Recently, Mrs. Harrington was featured in early 2012 for her work with the Red Cross in World War II in an episode of "New Hampshire Chronicle" on WMUR-TV. That interview inspired the U.S. Senate to adopt a resolution honoring the unsung women of the Red Cross who drove Clubmobiles during the war. Both New Hampshire and Maine senators at the time sponsored the resolution.She is survived by her three children, W. Brendan Harrington of McLean, Va, Melissa H. Leavy of Berwick, Maine, and Anne H. Harrington and her husband Philip A. Burke of Pasco, Wash.; and also her granddaughter, Ruth M. Harrington, of Minneapolis, Minn. Mrs. Harrington was predeceased by her husband, William F. Harrington Jr., and her son-in-law, Stanley H. Leavy.

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SERVICES: A funeral service will be conducted at the New Castle Church on Nov. 14, at 11 a.m. Donations on Mrs. Harrington's behalf may be made to the Red Cross or the New Hampshire Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.