Dr. Harold McCann Northington

Doctor Harold McCann Northington died on March 18, 2008 following a brief illness. He was born on September 5, 1919 in Wharton, Texas to Frances McCann and George Heard Northington Jr. He had a brother, George Heard III and a sister, Virginia Mortensen who both preceded him in death.

In 1920, at the young age of one year, he moved with his family to Egypt, Texas where he was reared. Dr. Northington always had a chuckle in his voice when he referred to himself as a �Wharton native�. After graduation from Wharton High School in 1935, Dr. Northington went to the Thom Schreiner Institute in Kerrville for two years. He completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Texas then attended Medical School at the University of Texas Medical School in Galveston.

Upon graduation from Medical School in 1942, during World War II, Dr. Northington was sent to Officers� Training School in Carlisle, PA as doctors were needed in the military. After six weeks he came back to complete his residency at Hermann Hospital in Houston. Dr. Northington was then assigned to the 104th Infantry Division in 1944. His division fought through Belgium and Holland. It was during that stint that Dr. Northington received the Purple Heart Award. After the war ended, Dr. Northington was station in San Francisco in a recruiting office.

He always joked that after the war, there weren�t many recruits so he got pretty good at card games, a passion he held right up to his death. Exiting the service in 1946, Dr. Northington decided he needed some more medical training so he joined Doctors Outlar and Blair at their new clinic in Wharton. He learned surgery from Dr. Blair and obstetrics from Dr. Outlar. His field of choice, however, was cardiology and he did as much post graduate work in that field as possible.

On December 11, 1946, Dr. Northington married the former Nina Lee Lane of Lane City, Texas. They had known each other all of their lives as their families had been close friends, but never dated until after he got out of the service. He and Nina remained in Wharton as Dr. Northington became a general practitioner, specializing in internal medicine. The couple raised five children � Mac, Tom, Ginger, Guy and Gay. Gay preceded him in death on May 12, 2001. Dr. Northington and Nina were married 55 years until her death on November 8, 2002.

Dr. Northington was a devoted doctor at Outlar-Blair Clinic. He was truly one of the last �country doctors�, who made house calls to sick patients. He was also Chief of Staff at Caney Valley Memorial Hospital for seven years. However, long hours in the profession took their toll and heart surgery in 1982 forced him to limit his working hours.

After serving 39 years at Outlar-Blair Clinic, Dr. Northington retired in 1984 and later went on to manage a farm and ranch operation. Even after another heart surgery in 1986, he remained active, joining the Tejas Vaqueros in 1990. That entailed meeting once a year for a week to recreate the life of the Texas cowboy, often riding horse back on 20,000-30,000 acres and camping out. Dr. Northington was also a member of the Texas Exes, Texas Medical Association, Wharton Lions Club and the Wharton Country Club, where he played in several bridge groups. His many contributions to Wharton have been honored by being named the Parade Marshal of the Christmas Parade by the Chamber of Commerce in 1993 and by the Wharton County Historical Museum with a reception in his honor in 1999.

Dr. Northington is survived by his beloved children and their spouses; Mac and Carla Northington of Boerne, Tom and Kathy Northington of Kerrville, Ginger and Burt Hooton of San Antonio, Guy and Cindy Northington of Houston, and son-in-law Mike Connelly and wife Nancy. He is survived by twelve grandchildren and spouses; Tom and Kristen Northington, Mona and Perry George, McCann and Margye Northington, David Northington, Gene Hooton, Lane Hooton, Will Northington, Wes Northington, Ginny Northington, Stacey Connelly, Patrick Connelly, and Mac Connelly. He is also survived by 8 great-grandchildren; Shelton and Mac Northington, Cody Lane, Guy, and Shawn George, and Maggie, Madeline, and Syble Northington.

Services were held Friday, March 21, 2008 at 11 O�clock at the First United Methodist Church with The Reverend Paul Quiggins officiating. Burial followed in the Northington Family Cemetery in Egypt, Texas.

Pallbearers were Dr. Northington�s ten grandsons; Tom Northington, McCann Northington, Perry George, David Northington, Gene Hooton, Will Northington, Wes Northington, Stacey Connelly, Patrick Connelly and Mac Connelly. Honorary Pallbearers were Dr. Denton Cooley, Raymond Harrison, Sr., Dr. Boy Hasskarl, Thurmon Clements, John Wynn, Joe Bruce Hancock, Bill Ansley John Kramer, Larry Owens, Buddy Tompkins, Kenneth Johse and Carl Reynolds, Jr.

For those desiring, memorials may be made to the First United Methodist Church 1717 Pioneer, Wharton, TX 77488 or the Wharton County Museum Association, P. O. Box 349, Wharton, TX 77488.

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