Our beloved Joseph Patrick Fitzgerald Harrington was born in Enterprise Village, Chaguanas, Trinidad, West Indies on July 23, 1935 to the late Albertha Wickham and James Harrington. Both parents died while he was a young boy and he was raised by his uncle. His parents had three other children, Millicent Harrington, Leonora Harrington and Gertrude Jean (Harrington).
Joseph married Julie Coombs September 24, 1960. From this union God blessed them with three beautiful girls – Joanne (Columbus, GA), Joy (Newport News, VA), and June (Palm Bay, FL).
Joseph was very studious and had the best handwriting his daughters have ever seen. During his spare time, Joseph enjoyed listening to music and was a big fan of Gladys Knight, Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald, and Dionne Warwick. Joseph had a strong work ethic. He was employed and retired from the New York Transit Authority as a welder. During the September 11 attack, he was called to respond to “Ground Zero” as part of the rescue and recovery team utilizing his welding skills to cut through all the metal that had fallen. He was an excellent story teller and told captivating stories about his upbringing and life events.
Joseph enjoyed tending to his lawn and would often get compliments from neighbors and those passing by his home. His lawn was always immaculate and weed free. He attended Mount Moriah Baptist Church in Palm Bay, Florida where he taught Sunday School and was recognized by the clergy for his many contributions to the Congregations for Community Action (CCA). Joseph loved to sing spirituals and study his bible.
His contributions will always be treasured by his family remaining here on earth, his sister Gertrude Jean; daughters, Joanne (John) Grant, Joy (Ronald) Cooke and June Harrington (Henric) Ives; his grandchildren Jamie (Bridgett) Longchallon, Jade Roberson, Barron Roberson, Ron Cooke, Kierra Cooke, and Jaronn Harrington; his great grandchildren; a host of nieces, nephews, family and friends.
A graveside service for Joseph will be held Tuesday, August 20, 2024 from 12:00 PM to 12:30 PM at Pinelawn Memorial Park and Arboretum, 2030 Wellwood Ave, Farmingdale, NY 11735.
COMPARTA UN OBITUARIO
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