Michele C. “Mike” Harrington

Michele C. “Mike” Harrington

January 21, 1946 - February 29, 2024

Service: A private funeral Mass will be celebrated Saturday, March 16. A wake for close friends, family and long-time customers will be held at Tessaro’s on St. Patrick’s Day, Sunday, March 17, from 1-3 p.m.

Michele C. Harrington, lovingly known by her many friends and family members as “Mike,” died Thursday, Feb. 29, at UPMC St. Margaret’s of complications arising from several types of cancer.

A resident of Venice, Fla., Mike was a favorite greeter at Tessaro’s, her family’s restaurant in Bloomfield, where she “held court” when in Pittsburgh. A woman who could never say “no,” Mike was the go-to person who would try to accommodate the wishes of the restaurant’s loyal customers.

A graduate of Mount Mercy College, which became Carlow College and then Carlow University, Mike spent most of her working life as a coordinator/guide at Frontiers InternationalTravel. In that position, she led groups on trips to almost every continent – collecting amazing art, books, treasures and memories along the way.

“She was instrumental in helping establish Frontiers’ presence in offering high-end African safaris and driven shoots in Europe,” said coworker Molly Fitzgerald. “She traveled the world with ease and elegance, creating lifelong memories for countless travelers. She will be fondly remembered for her bigger-than-life personality, her inimitable gift for hosting clients in the field, her bold statement jewelry, her passion for Africa, and her dedication to and love for each member of her family.”

A lifelong Catholic, Mike attended daily mass, prayed the rosary and pursued a spiritual existence, which was reflected in her generosity and kindness – even to those she barely knew.

She was married to James (Jimmy) Codell of Winchester, Ky.,whose company built highways, dams, railroads and government buildings, including a section of the Trans-Alaska pipeline. After they were married, the couple lived in Venice, where James died in 2004.

As the oldest of nine children of Dennis and Trese (“Tee”) Harrington of the North Hills, Mike advised and nurtured the family brood about fashion, personal relations and travel. She was preceded in death by her sister, Ena Harrington, and brother Kelly Harrington, both of Pittsburgh. She is survived by siblings Lisa Bulger of Hilton Head, S.C.; Shawn Harrington of Yogyakarta, Indonesia; Moira Harrington of Pittsburgh; Erin Harrington of Annapolis, Md.; Pegin Foglia of Fox Chapel; and Myles Harrington of Pittsburgh. She was beloved by eight nieces – Satya, Sahara, Nahdia, Kieran and Maurin Harrington; Natalie Treadgold; and Colleen and Nora Foglia – and seven nephews – Tegar, Deyllen, Deryl, Dennis and Seamus Harrington; and Jesse and Tobias Foglia.

A private funeral Mass will be celebrated Saturday, March 16. A wake for close friends, family and long-time customers will be held at Tessaro’s on St. Patrick’s Day, Sunday, March 17, from 1-3 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Seraphic Mass Association of Pittsburgh, a Capuchin group of missionaries founded by her two uncles, Fathers Don and Cecil Nally.