William (Bill) Harrington

Bill was a charming blend of strength and tenderness, bravado and principle. As a young man he  moved to Kodiak, Alaska, with his wife, Cindy, and their two young children. While he never lost his Boston accent and his ties to the East Coast, Alaska and its coastal waters were a match  for his spirit and sense of adventure. Bill called Kodiak home for the next 40 years. Bill wandered widely over the oceans, going to sea for both work and play. He spent many years in the western reaches of the Aleutian Islands and far offshore fishing along the edge of the  continental shelf. He fished in the South China sea and sailed from Central America to the Pacific  Islands and South America, as well as up and down the East Coast of the United States and in the  Caribbean. He traveled by motor yacht from Kodiak to Russia and on to Japan.  

He took delight in the accomplishments of his children and grandchildren, nieces and nephews,  siblings, and in the many crew members who worked alongside him over five decades at sea. He lived his life without judgment for those whose paths were winding or muddy. He was loyal to those he took into his heart, and unflinching toward the rest. Those he raised and mentored  learned to question the foundations of authority, read voraciously, nurture intellectual curiosity,  and love deeply. 

Bill is survived by his two children, Erin and Brendan Harrington; two grandchildren, Eliza  Harrington and Augustine Knight; his sister Michaele Harrington; brothers Jim (and wife Karla)  and Jay (and partner Joanne Burns) Harrington; by nieces and nephews Kiya, James, Leah, Rose,  Morgan, Nyx, Thomas and Grace; and by his love partner Katie Commins. Bill was preceded in  death by his parents Bill and Jadwiga Harrington and by his wife of 39 years, Cynthia (Cindy)  Harrington. Bill was interred in the Orleans Cemetery in Orleans, Massachusetts. There will be a  celebration of his life and potluck at Tony’s Bar in Kodiak on October 1 from 4-7 p.m.