Rodney “Rod” Elbert Harrington, 93, died peacefully on July 18, 2025, with his wife, Ilga, and daughter, Jennifer, at his side with the sounds of a recording of his playing the piano. He was born on Jan. 9, 1932, in Mayville, N.D., son of Elbert and Marjorie Mayberry Harrington.
Rod grew up with his brother, Charles, in Boulder, Colo., where he first developed his love of music. From early on, he was always fascinated by how things work, leading to an academic research career in science. The family moved to Vermillion, S.D., and he graduated in 1953 with a B.A. in chemistry from the University of South Dakota, Phi Beta Kappa. During that time, he witnessed the first successful test of the hydrogen bomb on Nov. 1, 1952, on the Enewetak Atoll in Marshall Islands aboard a Liberty ship in the Pacific. It made a lasting impression on him for the rest of his life and on his attitude about wars.
In 1953, he married Norma Erickson and took a job as chemist at the Ames National Laboratory in Iowa. They adopted two daughters, Tiffany Anne in 1963 and Jennifer Ellen in 1967. In 1956 he attended the University of California, Berkley. He received his Ph.D. in physical chemistry/chemical physics from the University of Washington in 1960 and spent his postdoctoral years 1960-1962 at the University of California, San Diego. He fondly remembered La Jolla, where his research career began in DNA structure/function relationships, enjoyment of abalone on the beach, and evenings of singing folksongs, overlooking the Pacific.
In 1962, he became an assistant professor of chemistry at the University of Arizona, and a year later moved to the University of California, Davis, where he became a full professor (1963-1973). He became chair of chemistry at the University of Nevada, Reno (1973-1979) at which time his research led him to join the department of biochemistry, School of Medicine (1980-1995). His final academic position (1995-2002) was research professor of biochemistry, microbiology, and molecular biology at Arizona State University.
Rod’s research has contributed to understanding the dynamic nature of DNA and chromatin structure interactions with proteins, highlighting the significance of DNA bending, twisting, and flexibility in regulating biological processes such as gene expression and tumor suppression, resulting in more than 170 refereed scientific publications. He was elected Fellow of American Association for the Advancement of Science and American Physical Society.
Rod met Ilga Butelis Winicov, who became the love of his life, in Sicily at a NATO scientific conference in 1978. They were married in 1979 and shared their interests in science and travel for nearly 47 wonderful years. They both finished their careers in science and research at Arizona State University and retired to Dutch Neck in Waldoboro in 2002, where Rod discovered the joys of tinkering with a tractor and pursued reading in physics, economy, religion, politics and poetry. His last years were at OceanView, Falmouth, where he continued his avid pursuit of current events, reading, and music. He was talented at being able to play the piano by ear without sheet music, and his neighbors and friends loved to hear him play, the sound floating through the screen door, as they moved in the neighborhood.
He is survived by his wife, of nearly 47 years, Ilga Winicov Harrington; daughter, Jennifer Harrington (Steve) of Sarasota, Fla., and Tiffany Ford (Bill) of Reno, Nev.; stepsons, Eric Winicov (Darcie Lewis) of Nebo, N.C., and Mark Winicov (Marie Ford) of Philadelphia, Penn.; and grandchildren, Harper, Meryl, Cole, Lyndell, and Jacob.
A celebration of life service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, at the Emmaus Lutheran Church, at 265 Middle Road in Falmouth. A small reception will follow.
Donations in Rod’s memory may be made to Emmaus Lutheran church or Friends of Kotzschmar Organ fund.
Please visit lindquistfuneralhome.com to sign Rod’s online guestbook.
