Manhattan Beach’s Molly Harrington was ‘unfairly smart’ mom, attorney
Manhattan Beach native Molly Harrington.
Manhattan Beach native Molly Harrington passed away Thursday, May 2 from breast cancer at the age of 45.
Harrington was christened Mary Catherine when she was born on Feb. 27, 1968, but was known throughout her life as Molly, a name friends said fit her bright spirit. She grew up in a busy Manhattan Beach household with parents Tom and Dianne and older siblings Bridget, Michael and Maura.
Summers were spent at the beach and on camping trips to the Kern River, where she learned to ride a motorcycle when she was six. Winters brought long, snowed-in weekends at the family’s cabin in Mammoth, putting on plays and skiing. Her siblings became her best friends in life, and the road trips, concerts and parties that followed became legend.
She was, as her husband Chris put it “unfairly smart.” She received the Headmaster’s Award from Chadwick school in 1986, a B.A. from GeorgetownUniversity in 1990 and a law degree in 1995 from USC, where graduated near the top of her class.
While at Georgetown, she spent a year abroad in Seville, Spain, where she became an ardent fan of Real Madrid and learned the proper hour to drink sherry and when to clap during flamenco performances.
After law school, Harrington moved to the Bay Area and worked at the Oakland law firm of Gwilliam, Ivary, Chiosso, Cavalli and Brewer, where she represented clients in wrongful termination, personal injury and product liability cases. Her success with the firm led to an invitation to become a partner in Orinda-based Balamuth Harrington.
In 1998, she married Chris Hartney. They soon adopted Stella, a head-strong Pembroke Corgi. In 2002, their son Riley was born, followed by Finn in 2005. Together with her sister-in-law Meg, the family was known as the BLU (Berkeley Love Unit).
She adored her husband, was in awe of her amazing boys and was grateful every day for her sister-in-law Meg and the love and support she gave.
When Harrington was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in 2006, she and her husband dove into understanding the disease and finding treatments. Courageous is not a strong enough word to describe how she lived her life under these conditions. She never allowed cancer to define her life. She faced it straight on and truly lived.
A memorial Mass will be held at AmericanMartyrsChurch in Manhattan Beach on Thursday, June 13 at 5 p.m., followed by a reception. A memorial service will also take place in Northern California, at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Asti, California on Friday, May 31 at 2 p.m. For more information call (310) 545-3326. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Susan G. Koman Foundation, Walk with Sally, the RichstoneFamilyCenter, the Bay Area Legal Aid or the Boys and Girls Club of Hollywood. ER