 His mother who was named Patricia and father named Edwards were both teachers, though his father later became a school superintendent.This led Harrington's family to relocate to a series of small Michigan towns, including Scottville, Ypsilanti, Vasser, and Albion, during his youth.Named "Most Likely to Keep Busy" by his high school annual, Harrington, following his graduation, completed a two-year pre-engineering program at Albion College while working a series of jobs.