Rita L. Harrington, 91, of Peabody, formerly of Salem, passed away on December 31, 2015. Born in Salem on November 18, 1924, she was the fourth of six children of the late Cornelius J. and Mary G. (Whalen) Harrington.

Rita was a graduate of St. Mary's Grammar School and Salem Commercial School. For many years, she worked at the United Shoe Corp. in Beverly. Later, she worked at the State House, retiring in 1989 as the Asst. Editor of the Legislative Bulletin.

A resident of Peabody since the early 1960s, she was a devout Catholic and faithful communicant of St. John the Baptist Parish. She was a member of the Catholic Daughters of America and the Third Order of Carmel in Peabody. Since 2002, she was a resident of Brooksby Village.

For several years, Rita's extended family held its Thanksgiving Day dinner at her home in Peabody, which she shared with her brother, Rev. Cornelius J. Harrington, affectionately known in the family as "Father Neil." These all-day gatherings provided a lifetime of memories for multiple generations of the Harrington clan, as discussions of politics, religion, and Irish culture, along with a hearty helping of laughter, were shared by the adults, while touch football was played among a throng of her nephews and nieces in Rita's yard, and later, on her dead-end street.

Since moving to Brooksby, Rita made several friends and renewed some old acquaintances from her early years in Salem. She was also lovingly supported by a special group of nieces and nephews, who treasured their relationship with her, and to whom the rest of the family wishes to express its deepest appreciation – especially Patty Suslak Newhall, her health care proxy, and George Suslak, her attorney.

Rita was predeceased by her three brothers, Rev. Cornelius J., Joseph B. and Kevin B. Harrington, her two sisters, Margaret M. Suslak and Sheila M. Hooley, and three of her nephews, Mark Hooley and Richard and Leo Suslak. She is survived and will be greatly missed by her remaining twenty-five nieces and nephews and her forty-six grandnieces and grandnephews.

Her Funeral will be held on Friday January 8th 2016 at the Brooksby Village Chapel 100 Brooksby Village Dr. Peabody, MAat 11:30AM. Visitation will be from 11:00AM to 11:30AM. Burial will follow in St. Mary's Cemetery, Salem, MA. For more information please call Murphy Funeral Home at 978 744 0497.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Rita's name to: Bishop Fenwick High School, c/o Kevin B. Harrington Scholarship Fund, 99 Margin Street, Peabody, MA 01960.