David Harrington, local musician, died at home May 13, 2021. Dave was born August 19, 1951, at Hamilton Air Force Base in California to Van and Jean (Greenwalt) Harrington. The family returned to Deer Lodge in 1952 where Dave attended local schools. He graduated from Powell County High School where he developed a passion for theatre and for music that he kept all his life. He attended Montana Tech for a time, then abandoned school for a varied career which included snake wrangler for the Portland Zoo and gandydancer for the Milwaukee Railroad. He loved outdoor pursuits – skiing, hang gliding, hiking, and mountain climbing. He climbed Grand Teton and other peaks in the Rocky Mountains and in New Zealand. But his main focus was music. He could play any instrument; he built and sold dulcimers, lutes, and Irish harps, and was known for impromptu concerts at the library, bookstore, or any sunny patch of grass.
Dave was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Lois Bergeson.
He is survived by his sister, Sue Harrington, and numerous nieces and nephews.
Private family services will be held. Memorials may be made to Grant Khors Library, PAWHS of Deer Lodge, or Montana Mental Health of Butte.
Please visit below to offer a condolence or share a memory of David.
Axelson Funeral and Cremation Services has been privileged to care for David and his family.
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David Morgan says
Mr. Harrington, as I so frequently called him, was a man of talent and dry humor.
Crinkly dry.
He was a good person, and a genuine friend.
This loss, coming so soon after the passing of his sister, is a shock to any who knew them both.
Now whenever I venture to western Montana, I will miss tea time with him, and of course, reading
The Half Penny Broadsyde.
So, Away With You Mr. Harrington, on to what ever awaits you next!
I hope it involves dog and cats, & penny whistles and Lutes, & a beat up old Yamaha 650.
Deb Lewis says
Mr. H,
I feel like I never properly thanked you for your kindness to my father when he was dying, for the times you played, and sang for him, and visited when no one else came around. It meant so much to him, and to our family.
I knew you long enough to not be surprised by anything you said or did, but you have truly surprised me this time. I’m feeling a little insulted that you left without telling me.
I will miss your music, and your humor, and your Jeffrey Epstein conspiracy theories. Thanks for everything…for the harp, and for the dulcimer, and for the years of truly terrible jokes.
Stay Zen, you crazy old Druid.
Teah (Teeple) Court says
Dave,
I don’t think I ever thanked you enough for your countless hours trying to teach me to play a guitar, even after realizing it was probably a hopeless endeavor. Without your help I would have never passed my math exams to get in to the U of M in Missoula, you were even so kind as to drive to the test with me to quiz me the whole ride there.
You and all of your amazing music will truly be missed and the world will never be the same without you. I would have loved to hear you sing “Home lobotomy kit” one more time. You introduced me to all of the amazing Medieval instruments you made and every time I saw someone playing a unique instrument, I would think of you. When I bought my daughter a bowed psaltery I thought, Dave would dig this!
My mom always loved when you would call the house to let her know what was happening in the sky, whether it was a planet that you could see particularly well or a meteor shower. No matter where I was in the world at the time, she would let me know, Dave called to tell me about the sky!
You were a great friend to me and I will always treasure that. Telling stories about Dave and all his adventures has always been, and always will be one of my favorite past times. I hope this adventure answers all the questions “I always believed you truly knew the answers too any way” about the universe and all the conspiracies.
Till we meet again good sir.