John C. Harrington, 75 of Sioux City, died Thursday, November 22, 2012 at his residence from leukemia.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10 am Monday at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Salix. Burial will be in Lohrville, Iowa. Visitation with the family present 6-8 pm Sunday at the New Life Lutheran Church in Sergeant Bluff, with a 7 pm Prayer Service. Arrangements were under the direction of Waterbury Funeral Service.

John was born on December 27, 1936 in Salix, Iowa, the son of Clinton and Margaret Harrington. He graduated from St. Joseph Catholic School in 1955 in Salix. He then earned an education degree from Wayne State College. He attended St. Louis University for a master’s degree in math and from the University of South Dakota, a master’s degree of education and administration.

John taught in high schools in Iowa, Lohrville, Melbourne, West Marshall, State Center and Emmetsburg. He loved coaching and had an Emmetsburg Catholic football team go undefeated. He won football coach of the year in 1964. John also enjoyed his time refereeing numerous sports.

John was a principal at Cedar Valley and a superintendent in Rolfe, Iowa. John finished his career as an insurance agent in LeMars, Iowa and Cottonwood, Arizona.

John married Connie Burke in 1962. She died in 2004. They had six children: Maureen and her husband Bob (Nicole, Jared); Deb and her husband Pete Wilhelm; Kirk Harrington and his wife Olga; Colleen and her husband Nate Baer (Grace); Teresa and her husband James Lake (Jim); Ryan Harrington and Vatche Simonian.

He had seven siblings: George (Mary); Richard (Madonna); Audrey (Bob); Lenore; Tim (Anita); Julie; Kevin; and many nieces and nephews.

He married Carol Malek in 2008. She has two children, Tim Malek and his wife Debra (Andrey, Charles, Ruby Ann) and Becky and her husband Dan Walters (Liz, Katie, Megan and great-grandson, Gabriel).

He was preceded in death by his parents and his first wife, Connie.