George Harrington

George Harrington, 91, of Indianapolis, Indiana left this world for heaven on July 4, 2016. George was born in Fort Worth, Texas in 1924 and lived there until moving to Chicago in 1932 with older brother Bert and mother Frankie to join George’s father, Bert, Sr., who had already relocated there due to work.

Frankie succumbed to illness and passed away shortly after arriving in Illinois, and Bert, Sr. soon thereafter met and married Margaret Pickley. Margaret became stepmother to Bert, Jr. and George, brought a daughter, Dale, into the blended family, and later gave birth to Harry, a half-brother to Dale, Bert, Jr. and George.
George loved to tell the story of a dream he experienced as a teenager, one in which he met a tall, attractive girl with a black purse emblazoned with gold letters “S S” on it. Within weeks of the dream, George discovered the embodiment of his vision in the person of Selmita Schubert, who carried a black purse featuring her initials in gold and who attended Calumet High School with George. George won Selmita’s heart, just as she had won his, and they married in late 1943 at Camp Crowder, Missouri Lutheran Chapel with family in attendance.
From 1943 to 1946, George served as a United States Army radio operator. He was stationed in India when World War II ended, managing a government warehouse that collected equipment to be returned stateside. During this assignment, George added a third language, Hindi, to his repertoire of English and German.
Many knew George for his ability to examine a problem and design a solution to solve it. After receiving an honorable discharge from the army in 1946, George earned an engineering degree at Wilson City College in Chicago. Employment followed in Texas, where he and Selmita welcomed a son, Steven, and a daughter, Charlotte, into the world. George later moved his family to Indianapolis, where he owned and operated a number of companies that designed, manufactured, and installed material-handling equipment. George’s clientele and contracts required travel throughout the United States and to Mexico, Puerto Rico, Germany, and Iran.
Selmita introduced George to the Lutheran faith, which George embraced and found to be a source of strength and inspiration throughout his entire life. Pilgrim Lutheran Church in Carmel became the Harrington’s home congregation, and George served in various leadership capacities there. Selmita and George remained married for 61 years, until Selmita’s death in July of 2005.
George was privileged to fall in love with two exceptional women, both of whom predeceased him. In late 2006, George met and subsequently married Miriam “Jo” Dulley. Jo was the second love of George’s life, and they enjoyed seven years of retirement together. George experienced the happiest years of his life with Jo as she expanded his horizons by encouraging him to socialize locally, travel stateside and abroad with the families of her four sons, and by alternating worship at Pilgrim Lutheran Church in Carmel and Church of Praise in Eagletown. Jo went to her heavenly reward in 2013.
George often expressed gratitude for the numerable blessings God bestowed on him during his lifetime, including his parents, siblings, two wonderful children, two loving Christian wives, an exceptional son-in-law, who is a clergyman, step-relatives, and many, many friends.
George is survived by his son, Steven Harrington; his daughter and son-in-law, Charlotte and Scott Pitts; half-brother Harry (Barbara) Harrington; stepsons through Jo – Bob (Dawn) Jones, Tom (Terri) Jones, Richard (Karen) Jones, and Doug (Laurie) Jones; and “special angels” Deborah and John McLouth.
A celebration of life service will be held at Pilgrim Lutheran Church in Carmel at 3 PM on Wednesday, July 27, with family receiving visitors from 1:30 to 3 PM. Arrangements entrusted to Flanner and Buchanan – Oaklawn Memorial Gardens.