Merwin Harrington passed away on May 26, 2019. He had prepared in advance his obituary, more appropriately called his life biography and had requested we share it here, in this format. His family are in our prayers during this difficult time….
It had been a long, hard, painful day and night for mom in the maternity ward of the Glens Falls Hospital, in Glens Falls, New York when I finally came into the world a little before midnight on the 8th of June in 1947.
We rented a two room apartment upstairs over my grandparents. Since we were poor everything was very old fashioned. My grandfather chopped wood all summer to burn all winter, we had a pump for water, chickens, vegetable gardens and an outhouse. We got our own house, in S Glens Falls, when I started second grade. It was a typical childhood with Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Little League and being able to go with my brother or friends all over the town. I was able to do well enough in high school to get a Regents Scholarship; and went to Adirondack
Community College so I could have the AAS to show for it.
During the summers I worked at Finch and Pruyn paper mill, and during the school year at Grand Union grocery. For the rest of my B.S., I chose SUNY Oswego. I came home one night to find the old lady I was renting a room from watching the first lottery for the Vietnam War; it was almost done- then they said the only number left #366 is June 8. I sent my mom a Thank -You note for not waiting a few more minutes. During the summer, I worked at General Electric's Capacitor Division's Advanced Development Laboratory.
After graduating from SUNY Oswego, I found about the last thing anyone wanted was a Chemist. I went to the local hospital and was hired, for what I thought was going to be about six months. Well, it sure turned out to be a very long six months. I think I was there 8 years; and rose to Assistant Supervisor
of Chemistry.
Then it was off to Illinois for a year at Community General Hospital as chemistry and urinalysis section head. I was setting in my girlfriend's apartment with snow up to the window sill when I saw a golf match on TV in Florida. We went there for vacation with a bunch of resumes. Her kids got good at spotting the blue H signs, besides the tourist things. Went back, resigned and have been here ever since. That was 1981, so I have really seen Charlotte County grow.
With my degree in chemistry, I have also been able to work for a water quality lab and a drug testing lab (NIDA) at a certifying scientist level. While there, I was also able to get my license from the state of Florida to do Legal Alcohols- and testified in several trials.
Just when I was able to say I was 40 and never married, I met a wonderful Pilipino lady, Amelia Vinagrerrra and we were married after dating 2 years, in 1990.
This is all Merwin finished writing, but I will add, that Amelia said they shared a wonderful life together. Traveling and spending time together, she has beautiful memories of her life with Merwin that will keep him close in her heart for the rest of her life.
There will be no public services. Mr. Harrington was laid to rest in Glens Falls, New York on Friday May 31, 2019.
COMPARTA UN OBITUARIO
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