James Anderson Harrington

Jim grew up and received his education in the Pittsburgh, PA and Huntington, WV areas. He joined the U.S. Army Air Corps on August 9, 1941. He served his country during World War II in the U.S. Air Transport Command based in Mohan Bari, Assam, India during the China-Burma-India Theater of War. After 31 months of overseas duty and three bouts of malaria, Jim returned to the USA and eventually received an honorable discharge August 28, 1945. From October 1945 to July 1983 Jim was employed in the household goods moving and storage industry in the Denver, Colorado area serving in the capacity of office manager, dispatcher, and sales manager and, after successfully completing courses at Denver University, he performed accounting duties until his retirement in 1983.

Jim was fond of all types of music, from Bach to bluegrass gospel music. His love of music began as a member of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral’s Boys’ Choir in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania which lasted until his voice changed. It was there that he learned how to create spit bubbles from beneath his tongue and blow them in the air from his position near the altar during the sermon. This activity did not last very long. He was a member of Calvary Temple choir in Denver from 1958 until 1968. He met Helen J. Stanforth in that choir and they were married in 1962. A son, James W. Harrington was born in 1965.

Though he had no training in piano or organ, Jim was blessed with the gift of music and played piano and organ by ear for several years at various churches in Arvada and Greeley, Colorado. His musical talents were shared with residents of various nursing homes and assisted living locations. His other interests included construction of Victorian bird houses, acrylic painting of cats on rocks, oil painting and construction of the 6 ½ inch “Old Rugged Cross” bearing a poem describing the reason for the cross to be depicted as “Rugged” and made of wood found on discarded fence slats, using only the edges of each side of the fence slat. Hundreds of the crosses were given to Christians; none were put out for sale.

Eventual termination of his marriage led Jim to link up with an old flame and longtime friend, Carole Wesche Chavez. They were married in 1981. They moved from Arvada to Greeley in 1984 where Jim began a new career with the Employment Service of Weld County in 1985. He completed 25 years of employment with Weld County and finally retired at age 88, primarily because at that age, he couldn’t remember the back door code numbers to let him into the office!

Jim is survived by his wife Carole, son James W. Harrington and fiancé, Nanette Garrett of Ft. Collins, granddaughter Rikki Lynn Harrington of Portland, OR and friend and former wife, Helen Harrington of Ft. Collins. There was cremation. Memorial service will be at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, May 21, 2016 at Stoddard Funeral Home. Inurnment will take place at Sunset Memorial Gardens.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Arvada Church of God, where Jim played the organ for many years, in care of Stoddard Funeral Home, 3205 West 28th Street, Greeley, CO 80634.