Novato

Betty Jean (Shoemaker) Harrington died peacefully in her sleep on Sunday, January 8, in San Rafael, CA. She was 96.

Born in Ft. Worth, TX, to Ida Mae (Wilson) and Chester Shoemaker, Betty grew up on a cotton farm in Fabens, TX, where her sister Helen was born. Her father enlisted in the Navy in WWII, and Betty spent each year of high school at a different campus in Corpus Christi, Florida, and the Bronx.

Betty worked as a secretary in the Empire State Building, when she met James Harrington, Jr. They married in 1949 and lived to celebrate their 63rd anniversary.

For Jim’s graduate studies, they moved to Dallas, where their two children, James III and Susan Louise, were born. They settled in Novato in 1958.

Betty was a devoted wife and mother and an active member of the Presbyterian Church of Novato, serving in any number of roles. She loved birds, gardening and bridge, and was president of the local garden club.

In 1974, Betty began work as a Realtor. She took a four-year break in the 1980s to join Jim in Saudi Arabia, where he worked for Bechtel. Each year during Ramadan they traveled around the world, visiting every continent but Antarctica. Betty’s beloved home was filled with memorabilia from their travels.

Betty is survived by her two children and their spouses, three granddaughters, and a great-granddaughter; her sister and family; and many nieces and nephews.

Her memorial service will be held at the Presbyterian Church of Novato on March 11 at 11AM.