Roger Lloyd Harrington

Roger Lloyd Harrington, 86, passed away peacefully on January 30, 2015 surrounded by his family at home in Tallahassee, Florida. He was the oldest of nine children born to Lloyd E. and Ellen K. Harrington.

Roger was very proud of his service in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War, training pilots at Pensacola Naval Air Station. He was the heavy- weight boxing champion while stationed at Great Lakes Naval Training Center. After the Navy he returned to Niagara Falls, where he worked as a journeyman union carpenter for Local #322 and was a construction supervisor at the Niagara Falls Power Plant. He also ran a successful general contracting business. In 1959, he answered a call to ministry. He began his undergraduate studies at Florida State University, then attended the University of South Carolina, and received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Louisville. He received a Master of Religious Education degree in 1968 and a Master of Arts in 1984, both from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville. He served as Minister of Youth at First Baptist Church, Tallahassee and First Baptist Church, Columbia, South Carolina. He served as a Minister of Education in three churches: Hillcrest Baptist Church, Louisville, First Baptist Church, Tallahassee, and First Baptist Church, Winter Park, before serving as the Director of Missions for the Indian River Baptist Association from 1975 – 1993. While there, he served as the Chaplain for the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Department.

While in ministry, Roger led construction mission trips throughout the United States and all over the world. After Hurricane Andrew, Roger led Florida Baptist Disaster Relief in south Miami-Dade County. He and volunteer crews repaired 76 churches and 847 houses in the affected area. Roger was a master woodcrafter; he built furniture, shadow boxes, and breadboards. Enjoying music from an early age, he was the drum major for the Pekin Volunteer Fire Company Band in his teenage years. Later, he directed and sang barbershop with the SPEBSQSA. He sang with First Joy Choir at First Baptist Church, Tallahassee.

Roger is survived by his wife of 64 years, Marjorie Grear Harrington, of Memphis. He is survived by eight brothers and sisters: Janice Lasal, Richard Harrington, Beth Knight, Norma O’Brien, Douglas Harrington, Ronald Harrington, Mary Lou Krish, and Elaine Seymour, along with spouses, nieces, nephews. Roger is also survived by his son, Michael Lloyd Harrington (Beth Jacobs), of Quincy, daughters, Cindy Lou Harrington (Michael Wheeler) of Atlanta and AmyLynn Harrington Smoot (Bill Smoot) of Tallahassee. He was preceded in death by his son, Derek Grear Harrington (Dorothy Harrington) of Fort Pierce. He had seven grandchildren: Charlotte Stahlberg (Matt Stahlberg), Fort Pierce, Day Grear Harrington (Joshua Swint), Tallahassee, Jacob Fryar, Tallahassee, Tiffany Fryar Caruthers (Silas Caruthers), Ocala, Brittany Pool Cyr (Austin Cyr), Nashville, Lloyd Harrington, Tallahassee, and Taylor Pool Estes (Joseph Estes), Atlanta, ten great grandchildren, and two great-great grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held Wednesday, February 4 at 11:00 am at First Baptist Church, 108 West College Avenue, Tallahassee, 32301. The family will receive friends after the service. Flowers may be delivered to First Baptist Church or donations made to Big Bend Hospice, www.bigbendhospice.org, 1723 Mahan Center Boulevard, Tallahassee, 32308.