End of an era
Edwin Harrington
October 21, 1929 - February 4, 2010
In Celebration of Edwin's Life
Edwin Harrington saw Bayville generations come, Bayville generations go. On Thursday, February 4, 2010, after living his entire life here in the yellow house on the corner it was Edwin's turn to leave. His life was celebrated and goodbyes said on Thursday, February 11 at the Simmons, Harrington & Hall Funeral Home in Boothbay.
When I drove up the parking lot was full and Route 27 was lined with cars. Not an empty seat in the chapel. The next day Jeannine remarked to me, obviously touched, she had no idea Edwin had so many friends.
I asked Jeannine how many years Edwin had worked for Bayville. Without hesitation she declared: “Since he was five!” Not an exaggeration, either. She explained: Edwin was five when his father died. He took to Ardine Abbott -- then Bayville caretaker -- like a father, began making the rounds with him and never stopped until he himself retired. When I pressed her, Jeannine said she didn't know exactly but that he must have put in at least 20 good years after Ardine. (Edwin had nothing on Jeannine. She told me she was Bayville's postmistress for 30 years!)
Al Roberts and Carol Stevens were the officiating clergy for the funeral service. Al delivered a warm, heartfelt eulogy. Part way through, Edwin's young granddaughter, Tabitha, not quite dwarfed by the podium, shared her own moving tribute to her granddad, then at the end surprised and touched everyone again with an unplanned sweet rendition of “Amazing Grace”.
Edwin's casket all the while was draped with an American flag. The service concluded with a stylized folding of the flag by two young smartly uniformed white-gloved military personnel, several crisp salutes, the sounding of “Taps”, and presentation of the flag to Jeannine. Very moving, even though somehow I had never thought of Edwin as ever being in uniform. Jeannine said, yes, he went to Korea for one and a half years, three days after they were married. He'd insisted they get married before he left.
Near the end of my visit with her, Jeannine pointed to what she said was the last photo of Edwin with his son and grandson, nestled amidst some flowers on a table in her living room. The photo was in a frame inscribed with the words: “Three generations. Children are born, traditions are passed, the love continues.” A necktie was draped on one of the plants. Jeannine remarked: “That was Edwin's tie from the service. Edwin, Jr. said his dad hated ties and would never have wanted to be buried wearing one!”
Edwin's Bayville friends were well represented at the funeral service by Al Roberts, Phil, Karen and David Roberts, Perry and Sue Bradley, Jim Coleman, Walter and Inez Baker, Mary Hatch, William and Sue Wood, Kevin Keegan, Alina Blakesley and myself.
~~ Robert Blakesley
Bayville, February 13, 2010
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The Eulogy by Al Roberts
Boothbay, Maine, February 11, 2010
It is indeed difficult to come to say goodbye to someone who just always seems to have been with us.Ed was born in Boothbay 80 years ago, in the same house where he lived all his life. He was son of a sea captain, Captain Fred Harrington. Ed went to local schools, graduated from Boothbay Harbor High School in 1949. He enlisted in the army in 1952, married Jeannine Winslow that same year. They were married 58 years --- a rare club. I asked Jeannine how did they do it. She replied: “Well, we never went to bed angry. Course some nights we never got to bed!”
Actually the biggest test of their marriage came these last few years … the results of his riding his motorized wheelchair through the house. When Jeannine got upset because of his speeding in the house he replied: “Those dents are good --- folks will know I passed this way.”
In his early years after the service Ed worked as a stone mason, at various shipyards in the area, and then at the Boothbay Region Water District where he worked for 20 years. That was a job he absolutely loved. Time didn't mean a thing to him. If someone was having a water problem --- didn't matter day or night, holiday or not, or whether he was even on call at the time. Jeannine told me it would be impossible to have counted the number of times the phone would ring in the middle of the night and she'd hear him say: “I'll be right there deah” --- he always called the ladies “deah.” Once Ed retired she told him: “I better not hear anymore 'I'll be right there deah'”.
His absolute first love was his family --- wife, son, daughter, 2 granddaughters, 4 grandsons and a great grandson. He was especially close to the grandkids and great grandson --- always out to meet the school bus whenever they were due to arrive.
Ed was Bayville Caretaker until his health forced him to retire. Among other jobs Ed mowed all the lawns in Bayville. One day I remember saying to my brother Phil: “I just saw something unbelievable. I saw young Ed riding a lawnmower and Edwin was pushing one. His mobility was not the best and he was painful to watch.” Phil said: “Oh, that's because Ed hates to give in to the fact that one of these days he will have to ride one.”
Once Ed finally had to get on the rider, from the stories I heard it sounds like he drove it with the same reckless abandon he did with his wheelchair. He so terrorized Bayville's garden flowers that they would hang their heads in terror in an effort to hide when they heard him coming. I know of at least two times he flipped the rider. Phil said he hopped off laughing, as he tried to get it back off its side saying: “We'll get 'er, we'll get 'er.” One time he even hit the 8 inch water main that comes from the Harbor heading towards Murray Hill, water spraying all over him. He thought that was the funniest thing ever.
When it came to driving a car it was usually okay if it was somewhere local --- but when the family went on a trip to Orlando there was a donut shop near the motel but you had to get on a rotary to get to it. Talk about Charlie and the MTA. Trudy said we got on that rotary and I didn't think we would ever get off. It had a lot of exit roads and every time he would go by the road he was supposed to take he'd say, “oops, missed it again”.
In Bayville it seems like Ed was always just a heart beat away from something going wrong. Like the time he had Eddie and Brandon help him move a boat. They put it in the back of the pickup and Eddie and Brandon sat in the boat. Ed hit Perry Bradley's speed bump so hard that the boat and the kids flew out the back.
Phil said when he took over from Ed it was getting pretty hard for Ed to get around, but he was showing Phil how to pull the various floats, still bound and determined to help. He slipped down over the bank and into the water. Tried to get back up but fell back in the water, two more times, laughing the whole time, saying: “We'll get 'er, we'll get 'er.”
I asked the family if he had any hobbies. He loved to watch the Celtics. One year his son-in-law Mike took him to Boston Garden to see them. That was definitely a highlight of his life. They said he also liked auto racing --- Oxford, Beech Ridge, Wiscasset, and watching the Daytona.
Finally, I asked the family how they would remember him and therefore how they would like for us to remember him. Both Eddie and Trudy said he was a caring man who was always giving. I once read where we should always strive to help someone who couldn't return the favor. Ed lived that. Never would even consider turning off someone's water because they were having a hard time paying the bill. He'd sooner pay it himself.
Trudy also said: “He was the most hard working man I've ever known. In fact, that was his real hobby … working.”
I asked Sam how he would remember him: “Part of the generation that made America what it is,” he said. Brandon said: “He was the rock of the family, the roof over our heads.” Jeannine added: “Just before they went to sleep he'd always say: 'Love ya, and now I'm goin' to say my prayers.”
Ed's own saying when describing someone else was: “He's a corker” or “She's a corker”.
My friends I tell you ... Ed Harrington, I believe was a corker!”
Boothbay Register, 2/11/2010