Glenn David Harrington
July 13, 1949 - May 5, 2021
"There is a thing in me that dreamed of trees,
a quiet house, some green and modest acres
a little way from every troubling town,
a little way from factories, schools, laments.
I would have time, I thought, and time to spare,
with only streams and birds for company,
to build out of my life a few wild stanzas.
And then it came to me, that so was death,
a little way away from everywhere." - M. Oliver
We who knew and loved Glenn will remember him as a wonderful father, grandpa, partner, and friend, a relentless kidder, and the self-proclaimed "man who knows the words to every song ever written." He was an activist, gardener, farmer, and traveler; carpenter, designer, igloo builder, and paddler; unfailingly loyal and fiercely protective of his family and his friends.
Glenn loved the land and used his passion for conservation to build a career in landscape architecture. He guided the restoration of rivers, marshes, streams, pits, and quarries across Ontario, and shared his skills as a teacher and mentor. In recent years, Glenn's pride and joy was a former gravel pit near Cannington, north-east of Toronto, where he worked to recreate lush pastures, rolling hills, and a deep, cold water lake – paradise from a wasteland. He dubbed the acreage "Harrington Glen" and dreamed of spending his retirement there, working the fields, paddling his canoe, fishing, rambling, and sharing the bounty of his land. In three brutally short years, ALS crushed that dream but it could never crush Glenn's spirit or his desire to continue working on the projects he so loved.
On May 5th, 2021, Glenn left us as he lived, on his own terms; content with his family near and the taste of Scotch on his lips. He left behind a lifetime of memories and laughter. He left each of us better for knowing him.
Glenn will be greatly missed and remembered forever with love by his sons Adam, Matthew, and Jesse, his wife Cheryl, daughters-in-law Sara and Teresa, grandchildren Ty and Maeve, sister-in-law Heather, nieces and nephew Alana, Bethany, and Brent, his dear cousins, and by his partners Rich, April, and Bernie, as well as his many friends and colleagues.
The Harrington brothers – Wayne, Glenn, and Keith – are together again. Expect shenanigans. ["?clusie-the-got-whos-schnoozy-whosie"]
Rest in mischief, Glenn, and thanks for the memories!
Donations in Glenn's memory may be made to the ALS Society of Canada (als.ca).