Jack Harrington, “Papa Jack” to his loved ones, passed away suddenly on October 14, 2019 at the age of 75. A man of uncommon kindness and wisdom, he leaves behind a large group of family and friends who will miss his wry smile, brilliant mind and intricately woven (sometimes painfully long) stories.

Jack was born on September 1, 1944, to Frances Cullinane Harrington and Dr. John V. Harrington. The eldest of five children, he spent his childhood in Lexington, MA and at the family cabin on Lake Winnipesaukee, NH. It was at the lake where he developed his lifelong passion for the outdoors, and in particular sailing, skiing and hiking.

Jack was a member of the Class of 1962 and played on the varsity basketball team at Lexington High School. Upon graduating, he headed north to Colby College where he studied, skied and perfected the infamous “Colby Cheer,” probably not in that exact order. In 1966 he graduated with an A.B. in Chemistry, after which he elected to go to law school, much to his physicist father’s consternation. His parents’ concerns were ultimately alleviated when Jack’s legal career flourished and especially when he announced his engagement to Maureen Keeley.

After receiving his J.D. from Boston University, Jack joined the staff at the Federal Power Commission in Washington D.C, which led to a forty-five-year legal practice related to the development and regulation of major energy projects. He was a partner at the firms of Gallagher Boland, Fulbright & Jaworski and more recently Norton Rose Fulbright, and was selected by his peers as one of “America’s Best Lawyers” for Energy Law numerous times, a distinction he always claimed was highly dubious. After retiring from Norton Rose in 2016, he continued to work as an advisor to Medallion Midstream until the day of his passing. Throughout his career, he took particular pride in mentoring younger lawyers and greatly enjoyed his time running the D.C. Summer Associate program at Fulbright.

For all his accomplishments as a lawyer, Jack’s greatest strength was as a father. He and Maureen lived in Annapolis to be near the water, and they raised their five children and countless pets in a wonderful, happy home on the Severn River. The house was a continual gathering spot for friends, cousins, midshipmen and neighbors, all of whom had a special connection to Jack.

He was a deeply kind and exceptionally loving father. Possessed with his own innate sense of intellectual curiosity, his children’s schooling was of paramount importance and he spared nothing to ensure they were given challenging and fulfilling educations. He set the record for tuition years paid at Indian Creek School, where he also served on the board including a stint as President. He was a constant presence at St. Andrew’s School (DE), which all five children were fortunate enough to attend for high school. Between universities and study abroad programs, Jack could always be counted upon to venture anywhere his kids had a game or needed some love.

In recent years, Jack travelled from South America to Alaska to Europe, sometimes to visit his children and sometimes on his own. From last minute dashes to hike up in Maine to four-day roadtrips in order to ski with grandchildren in Colorado, he always had his coffee cup full, his dog by his side and a grin on his face. His visits to family were regular - more regular still if that family member lived near a ski slope, the water or a decent pub, which his children invariably did.

Jack was predeceased by his parents, John V. and Frances Harrington; his sister, Nancy Higgins; and his nephew and niece Jason and Jessica Harrington. He is survived by his five children and their loves: John Colin Harrington (Christina) of Annapolis MD, Anne Kearney Staniford (Dan) of Locust Valley NY, Katherine Keeley Dickie (John) of Weston MA, Patrick Bennett Harrington (Sarah Stewart) of Annapolis MD, and Molly Keeley Kloppenburg (George) of Findlay OH; eight-and-a-half grandchildren with significant expectations for more – Nola, Una, Kearney, Hutson, Graham, Will, Johnny, and Mack; his former wife of forty years, Maureen Keeley Harrington; his brothers Jeff Harrington (Karen), Brian Harrington (Kathleen Canavan) and Dick Harrington (Betsy Hood); a huge contingent of nephews and nieces; and his constant companion, a large and gentle black lab named Smitty.

Papa Jack taught his children a love for the simple things, for the world around them, and, most importantly, for each other – he lived those values by example and took great joy in watching those values get passed along to his grandchildren. He hiked, sailed and skied as much as possible, no matter the weather, and when at home on the Eastern Shore he would spend most evenings out on his boat. There was nothing he liked so much as a cold beer, a view of the water, a dog at his feet and a family member with whom to talk. He gave his family all that he had, and, without exception, asked for nothing in return.

He will be deeply missed and forever loved.

A celebration of Jack’s life will be held at the Annapolis Maritime Museum on December 14th at 4:30pm. In lieu of flowers or other expressions of sympathy, memorial contributions may be sent to ShoreRivers at https://www.shorerivers.org for the protection and restoration of the Wye River.