Kenneth Wilton Harrington passed away December 4, 2023, at his daughter’s home in Lexington, at the age of 92 years 3 months 6 days. A Visitation is scheduled from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, December 7, 2023, at the Wadley’s Funeral Chapel. Graveside services are scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday, December 9, 2023, at the Hittson Cemetery in Mineral Wells, Texas, entrusted to the care of Wadley’s Funeral Service.
Kenneth was born August 29, 1931, at the Harrington homestead, Palo Pinto County Texas along the Brazos River, to Paul Jackson and Willie Reese (Thomason) Harrington.
He was a talented athlete who loved playing sports, especially his first love, “Baseball”. Kenneth talked many times about how he and his dad would go out into the fields along the Brazos River and play catch where he would dream of playing professional baseball.
This dedication to the sport led to a professional baseball career, beginning in 1949 in the Texas league, and ending with a year playing for the Cincinnati Reds baseball organization in 1954-55. One of Kenneth’s proudest moments was when he beat out his biggest rival, another pitcher from Stevensville for a professional league contract.
Over the years, if you ever visited Kenneth or his dad, they were always watching or listening to a baseball game. Kenneth and his dad were passionate Texas Ranger fans, and this past year was able to see his team win their first World Series. Kenneth had a nickname “Gabbie”, which was given to him by fellow teammates and opposing players. Not for talking all the time, it was because he never talked, so they gave him this nickname which stuck for life.
During Kenneth’s baseball career, he was called to serve his country in active duty, serving in the United States Army during the Korean War from 1952-1954. Being a veteran was one of Kenneth’s proudest accomplishments, something that he talked about often and took great pride in being able to say he served in time of war for the United States of America.
In 1955 Kenneth was married to his first wife, Ellen Grayce Patchett in Plainview, Texas, where he was playing baseball. Kenneth and Ellen had four children: Dennese, Gary and Kerri (twins) and Lynda. In 1957, Ellen and Kenneth moved to Oklahoma, where Kenneth would spend the next 66 years of his life.
On June 4, 1977, Kenneth married Dora “Dodie” Davis and they were together for 29 years until Dora’s death on March 1, 2006.
Kenneth loved the outdoors, often sitting on his porch waiting for the moon to rise over the Oklahoma horizon, even if it was over 100 degrees outside. He loved to tinker and build things with his hands, although he wasn’t a professional carpenter, he had a knack for knowing how everything went into place.
Kenneth was preceded in death by his parents, Willie and Paul Jackson Harrington; his daughter, Kerri Kirby; his brothers, Bill Harrington and Paul Harrington; his sisters, Delia Fallen and Ruth Davis; his son-in-law, Charles “Chuck” Rosenfelt; his great-grandson, Barron Lehr and wife, Dora Harrington.
Survivors include his daughter, Dennese Rosenfelt of Lexington, Oklahoma; his son, Gary Harrington and wife, Karin, of Kollweiler, Germany; his daughter, Lynda Gaither and husband, Jon, of Arlington Texas; his son-in-law, Rick Kirby; his son-in-law and daughter-in-law, David and Lisa Davis of Haslet, Texas; along with 16 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren and numerous other relatives and friends.
