Roger S. Harrington

At the age of 80, Roger Stephen Harrington passed to realms on high just before midnight on Friday, September 20, 2024, at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, while in the company of a half dozen of his dear friends.

Roger was born in Bristol, England, on February 25, 1944, to Stephen Harrington and Winifred (Brimble) Harrington. He and his family immigrated to Kingston, Ontario in Canada, where they lived until 1960, when Roger was 16 years old. That year they moved to Santa Barbara, where Roger subsequently received his H.S. diploma from Santa Barbara Evening High School in 1965.

At the age of 24, Roger enlisted in the U.S. Army and was trained as a dental assistant, in addition to qualifying as a sharpshooter. He served for 3 years, primarily at Fort Benning, Georgia, and was honorably discharged in 1971. He became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1972.

His Army training prepared Roger for a career as a dental technologist, and he engaged in this profession for many years in Santa Barbara. He took pride in the crowns, bridges, dentures and other dental appliances he made for the benefit of members of our community, and his good work lives on.

In his spare time, Roger had a number of hobbies including breeding and showing standard poodles, memberships in a local Ford Mustang club and a local gun club as a proud member of the N.R.A., and playing cribbage at the Santa Barbara Elks Lodge where he was a Life Member.

Roger held several positions in the Elks Lodge during his tenure including Treasurer, Tiler, and Membership Investigations Chairman. In addition to receiving awards for his volunteer work, he was named Elk of the Year in 2014 and Officer of the Year in 2020. He exemplified the four cardinal virtues of the Order: Charity, Justice, Brotherly Love and Fidelity.

Roger was preceded in death by his parents and his former wife Rita Harrington. He is survived by several cousins in England. While he had no immediate family in the United States, he was a brother to many friends here. Mere words cannot express how much Roger’s friendship meant to all of us who knew him, and how much he will be missed. At his request, no funeral services will be held. A celebration of his life will be scheduled for later this year.

In his memory, consider making a donation to a charity of your choice.