HARRINGTON, M.D., John T., 80, of West Roxbury and the Hummocks, Portsmouth, Rhode Island, passed away peacefully on October 31, 2017. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Gertrude R. (Trudy) Harrington. He leaves behind seven children and their spouses, Trudy and Andy Becker of Blacksburg, VA, Kathleen and Andrew Clark of Houston, TX, Daniel Harrington of West Roxbury, Ann and Mike Murphy of Westwood, John and Bethany Harrington of Wellesley, Mark and Deanna Harrington of Houston, TX, and Tim and Kelly Harrington of West Roxbury, and twenty-one grandchildren. In addition, he leaves two brothers, the Honorable Edward F. Harrington of Needham and Portsmouth, RI, and Daniel T. Harrington, M.D., of Fall River, MA.
Born and raised in Fall River, son of the late John J. Harrington and Elizabeth C. Harrington, John attended B.M.C. Durfee High School Class 1954, graduated from Holy Cross College in 1958, and Yale University School of Medicine in 1962.
From early on, he considered studying medicine because, as a young boy, John had been stricken with rheumatic fever (a particularly frightening illness in the 1940’s), which sparked an interest in medicine and a vocation that placed the value and care of each human being at its center. These core teachings were at the heart of the education he received at Holy Cross in the 1950’s, and he would never leave them behind.
An internship and residency in internal medicine at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill (1962-1965) followed, and allowed John to begin to study his specialty, nephrology, in which he would build his career, and indeed come to shape the field. Further postgraduate training as a Clinical and Research fellow in Medicine took place at Tufts Medical Center in the nephrology division (1965-1968).
Across a career that spanned decades, Dr. Harrington would later serve as Chief of General Medicine at Tufts Medical Center, Chair of Medicine at Newton-Wellesley Hospital, Member of the Editorial Board of New England Journal of Medicine, editor of Nephrology Forum in Kidney International, author of countless scholarly articles and several important medical monographs. From 1994-2002, he served as Dean of the Medical School at Tufts University. World-renowned as a kidney doctor, Dr. Harrington was also a teacher and mentor to students, young doctors, and colleagues, and ten times won teaching awards from the graduating classes at Tufts Medical School. He was Professor of Medicine at Tufts University since 1979.
Dr. Harrington loved Irish literature, the Red Sox and the Patriots. He introduced a love of poetry to his family, especially the poems of Seamus Heaney. Mostly he loved his family and their home at the Hummocks in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, where he summered from the time he was four years old. Countless summers saw him sailing his much loved Carpe Diem (all the sailboats across the years were named this) and treating his family to sailing adventures and escapades from Mount Hope Bay to Fogland to Block Island. He quahogged in the Cove at Spectacle Island with his parents, his wife, his children, and his grandchildren for over 70 years.
Visiting hours will be held at the William J. Gormley Funeral Home 2055 Centre St. WEST ROXBURY, Sunday, November 5th 3-7pm. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Monday, November 6th in Holy Name Church at 11:30am. Interment will be Tuesday, November 7th at St. Patrick Cemetery, Fall River at 12 noon. Relatives and friends respectfully invited. Remembrances in Dr. Harrington’s memory may be made to Holy Name Parish 1689 Centre St. West Roxbury, MA 02132 or Tufts University School of Medicine Development Office, 136 Harrison Ave. Boston, MA 02111. For directions and guestbook www.gormleyfuneral.com