Newport, NH-Donald E. Wrightington, 75, of Riverbend Drive, died Thursday, January 19, 2012 at the Sullivan County Nursing Home in Unity, NH.

He was born in Abington, MA on Sept. 23, 1936 the son of Henry H. and Esther (Hall) Wrightington. He graduated from Abington High School in 1954 and served in the US Coast Guard from 1954-1958. In 1956 Don marrried Carol Cross of Whitman, MA and they had three children. In 1966 he graduated from Bridgewater College with a Master's Degree in Education.

He was a very diverse person and did many different things including running a program for at risk kids. He was a police officer in Harwich, MA for four years and was a guidance director of a Naval Air Base in Bermuda for seven years while also coaching football and basketball. He returned and became the Director of Guidance at Pembroke Academy for 14 years and also had been the Sunapee Welfare Director for 10 years. He just loved children and especially challenging children. Don married Robin Taylor in 1986 and they moved to Sunapee in 1989. He was a member of South Congregational Church in Newport and was a member of the Masonic Order on Cape Cod.

Members of his family surviving include his wife, Robin (Taylor) Wrightington of Newport, NH; three sons, Mark Alan Wrightington of Sunapee, NH, David Robert Wrightington of Harwich, MA and Brandon Warren Wrightington of Chichester, NH; two stepsons, Derek James McFarland of Peterborough, NH and Sean Ross McFarland of Sunapee, NH; 14 grandchildren; a brother, Henry H. and his wife, Barbara Wrightington, Jr. of Hanson, MA; and a nephew, Daniel and a niece, Katrina Erin Taylor of Sunapee, NH.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 28, 2012 at 11:00 A.M. at South Congregational Church, Newport, NH.

Memorial contributions may be made to Concord SPCA, 130 Washington Street, Penacook, NH 03303.