George Fred Harrington was born on a dairy farm in Killingly, Connecticut, on July 29, 1923; he passed from this earth on August 1, 2010. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Class of 1947. He received a master's degree in business administration from Harvard University in 1957.

Colonel Harrington spent his career largely in personnel and administration. He served in several overseas posts, including in Germany during the Berlin Airlift and in a village near Paris, where in the early 1960's he was attached to Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, the central command of NATO military forces. He worked in Washington in the late 1960's and early 1970's in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, where he specialized in international security affairs. He then returned to Germany, where he served as chief of staff of the U.S. Air Forces in Europe, and spent his last two years of military service at the Pentagon working for the Joint Chiefs of Staff director of security assistance. He retired in 1977 after 33 years of active duty service. His most significant military decorations are the Distinguished Service Medal and the Legion of Merit.

Following his military career, George worked for eight years with Beech Aircraft as a marketing manager and later as Vice President for International Marketing. George was a Little League coach when his children were young, and he served as president of the board of the Harvard Business School Club of Washington. He also was a Mason and served as president of the board of the Collingwood Library and Museum on Americanism in Alexandria, headquarers of the National Sojourners, the military order of the Masonic fraternity. He was a member of Calvary United Methodist Church in Arlington County.

Survivors include hs wife of 63 years, Ruth Saarinen Harrington of Crystal City, three children, George L. Harrington of Alexandria, and Joanne Harrington and Julie Harrington, both of Tallahassee, Florida; a sister, Nora Johnson; and two grandchildren, Haley and Shane Madkour.