Mrs. Kathleen Harrington's Obituary
Celebrating the Life of Kathleen Shipp Harrington
Kathleen passed away peacefully in her sleep in her own home in the early morning hours of December 10, 2019. Kathleen was born on September 9, 1936, in San Antonio, Texas, at Santa Rosa Catholic Hospital. Kathleen “Keenie” Shipp lived a life of service to her family and will be remembered for the loving witness that her life provided to her family and friends. Kathleen lived in San Antonio with her parents Mildred Lenora King and Rufus Perry Shipp until July 1939 when work brought the Depression Era family to the east side of Houston. The family moved into a little house at 1305 Elliston Drive. As a child, Kathleen heard in real time the radio report of the bombing of Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941). Her parents were in the kitchen and could not hear the radio broadcasting from the living room. She had to convince her parents that America had been attacked by the Japanese. Kathleen was just five years old. As a preteen she witnessed the construction of I-45 from Elliston Drive. She and the other neighborhood kids rode their bikes and roller skated the freeway until it opened in September 1948. Kathleen was 12 years old. She often returned to San Antonio by bus to visit her grandmother and extended family through her teen years and beyond. Kathleen graduated from Stephen F. Austin High School in 1954. Her love of math and science led her to attend the University of Houston to pursue a degree in Engineering. Her youthful dreams met with the jarring reality of the 1950's. The lack of college grants/loans and the systemically harsh sexism of the time caused Kathleen to become discouraged. Her bachelors of Science from UH would take years to be realized. Though the degree remained elusive, she began a career as an accountant. Kathleen married Charles Everett Botkin September 1, 1962. The couple purchased property a couple of acres away from his parents in the pastures surrounding present day Hobby Airport. They began construction of their homestead in October 1962. Their first child, a daughter, Rosezanne Botkin was born October 6, 1964. Their son Charles Everett Botkin, Jr., was born one year later on October 18, 1965. Kathleen considered motherhood one of her greatest blessings in life. She was determined her children would not suffer as she had during the prevalent scarcities of the Great Depression and World War II. A Texas woman through and through, Kathleen took pride in being a Daughter of the Republic of the Great State of Texas. She loved to hunt, fish, camp and go horse riding. Like her father, she had a large vegetable garden and let the kids raise chickens, turkeys, guinea fowl and rabbits. She taught her children how to garden and raise animals for food. Like her mother, she proficiently sewed the family's clothes, canned, and enjoyed cross stitch, crocheting, knitting. After deer hunts with her husband Charles, Kathleen would make deer sausage for her family and tan the hide. On February 3, 1971, Kathleen divorced Charles E. Botkin. Kathleen restarted her work career outside the home in the oil and gas field as an accountant. She met her future husband, a welder at work. She would be married to Albert Andrew Harrington in less than a year. Their son Albert Andrew Harrington was born on January 17, 1972. With the birth of her third child; Albert "Andy" Harrington, Kathleen again put her career on hold as she freshly recommitted herself to the full-time job of motherhood. She joined the PTA and shuttled her children to cub scouts, girl scouts, and skating classes. She became room mother to her daughter, Rosezanne's fourth grade class at J.C. Mitchell Elementary. When her youngest child Andy began school, she once again returned to work outside the home as an accountant. Kathleen became a corporate accountant for National Oilwell and wrote computer programs for the accounting department; yet, she lacked the pay, prestige and job security provided by a degree. When her daughter graduated South Houston High School in 1984, Kathleen vowed to go back to college and finally acquire her Bachelors of Science in Accounting. Her hard-fought college credits from U of H were no longer transferable by that time and she would find herself going to night school at San Jacinto College South with her daughter. This time she would not be deterred. Kathleen received her Bachelors of Science in Accounting with Honors from the University of Houston-Clear Lake as her family looked on. Kathleen never forgot the injustices she saw and suffered as a girl of the 50's and believed political action and representation was essential. One of her favorite memories was her being selected as a Delegate for the Texas Democratic Primary on May 03, 1984. She caused a ruckus by wearing her Vote Jessie Jackson button on the floor of the delegation. Members of the delegation were afraid that she would cast her vote for the Reverend and not for Walter Mondale. She was most pleased with causing the commotion and always laughed when she told the story. She remained committed to social Justice and supported the ACLU as well as the Innocence Project. She regularly donated blood to the Blood Bank until her retirement from Applied Finish, Inc., in 2003. Upon her retirement; her son Albert Andrew Harrington gave Kathleen a cherished responsibility. Albert needed his mother to take on the role of caregiver to her precious grandchildren Albert Andrew Harrington III and Michael Austin Harrington. She felt blessed to do so and happily served as their babysitter for years. Kathleen looked forward to spending more time with her first grandchild Jake Evett and asked about him often. She wanted to know if he was serious about a girl yet and was hoping for a wedding invite. Kathleen was jubilant to meet her granddaughter Maggie Kathleen Harrington and envisioned seeing all four of her grandchildren grow up. Being a mother and grandmother meant so very much to her. Her daughter; Rosezanne, moved back home again when she went back to college to pursue her Bachelors of Science in Nursing. Kathleen continued to be a voracious reader and studied political and economic theory books as well as the medical journals from her daughter. She remained a life long learner and very much enjoyed studying with Rosezanne as she attended the University of Texas-Galveston for Nursing. She was so proud of her for attaining her B.S. and Registered Nurse license. Kathleen had just celebrated her 83rd birthday, and continued to enjoy Sudoku and Mahjong on her computer, when not surfing YouTube for animal videos or recipes. She faithfully watched SNL, Stephen Colbert, John Oliver and the Sunday political news shows. She enjoyed the visits and phone calls from Charles, Albert and her grandchildren. She looked forward to the numerous phone calls and visits from her special friends Brian Wayne Knight and Eric Henry. She loved the spirited debates and ensuing laughter with Eric and Brian. Both Eric and Brian provided her with much joy, and she asked about them often. We are so grateful for the time we had with her on this earth; yet, one hundred years would not have been enough. We love her and miss her, and find comfort in knowing the we will be reunited with her in Heaven. May the Circle be Unbroken... Kathleen dearly loved the open, undeveloped spaces of her beloved Texas. She believed the Natural World, it's people and animals to be created by God, and as such, that we are duty bound to defended All of God's Creation. In lieu of flowers, Kathleen requested donations to:
Houston Food Bank
Chef Andres World Kitchen
ACLU Doctors without Borders
The Innocence Project
The Katy Prairie Conservancy
Houston Audubon
Animal Alliance of Galveston
Green Peace
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