Obituary

Charles William Harrington (Charley) passed from this life surrounded by his loving family on August 9, 2025, at Parkview Hospital, following his brave battle with cancer.

He is survived by his wife, Gail of Pueblo; daughters, Jackie (Fred) Baca ,of Pueblo, and Nancy Harrington of Evergreen; grandchildren, Brandon, Teal, and Dax Baca of Pueblo; sister, April (Dave) Donnell; and brother, Chris (Jody) Harrington, all of La Junta. He is also survived by many nieces, nephews, and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Jack and Ikey Harrington; stepfather, Buck Ethridge; infant sister, Roseann Unger; in-laws, Ed and Rea McDonald; and brother-in-law, Mike McDonald.

Charley was born on September 23, 1950, in La Junta, Colorado. He attended elementary school at Fort Bent School, junior high at Herron Junior High, and graduated from La Junta High School with the class of 1968. Following graduation, he attended Colorado State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting. Charley married the love of his life, Gail McDonald on December 20, 1976, and together they had two daughters.

Charley was a well-known and respected salesman for the Ford Motor Company for many years. He began his career at Spradley Motors in La Junta, and in 1986 moved to Pueblo to work for Central Ford, eventually working with Freedom Ford and Spradley Ford of Pueblo. Charley knew everything there was to know about Ford vehicles and was highly respected in his field, with a long list of loyal customers. In his later years, he was happiest when spending time with his grandchildren working to restore his 1953 Buick, 1967 T-Bird, and 1967 Firebird.

Charley was an avid sports fan, especially of football and baseball. He loved the Colorado Rockies—win or lose—and attended every Opening Day along with several games throughout the season. Sundays were reserved for football, and he could often be found with Gail at his favorite sports bars, Eilers, Beer Barrel, or Graham’s Grill, cheering on the Broncos. He was a longtime supporter of CSU–Pueblo ThunderWolves and a season ticket holder. He also continued to attend high school football games and often returned to La Junta to watch his old team, the Tigers. More than anything, he loved watching his grandchildren and grand nieces and nephews play sports. He was also a devoted rodeo fan, regularly attending the National Western Stock Show, Cheyenne Frontier Days, and the Colorado State Fair. He took special pride in watching his nephew, Jackson Donnell, compete in ranch rodeos.

Charley was honored to be a fourth-generation Coloradan with deep roots in the Arkansas Valley. He had a saying that you could always tell someone who wasn’t from here because they liked to “live high and look down,” whereas true Coloradans liked to “live low to look high.” He never lost his awe of the mountains and loved exploring the beauty of the state. He and Gail often went on weekly drives just to “see what they could see.” An expert on mountain passes and back roads, he could tell you how to get anywhere without using a highway. He cried every time he heard the National Anthem and was proud to be an American. He will be laid to rest on the land he loved, in the county he was from.

Services for Charley will be held on September 21 at 1:00 p.m. at the Timpas Cemetery off CO Rd. 17 in Timpas, CO. A reception will follow around 2:30 p.m. at the Elks Club in Rocky Ford, CO. Dress is casual, as Charley would have wanted. Please feel free to wear your favorite Colorado team gear.

Roselawn Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.