Alfred Barrington

"Alfred (Fred) E. Barrington (née Boritzer) died January 18, 2014 in Amherst, MA at the age of 92, after a long illness. He was born March 22, 1921 in Vienna, Austria. He spent the war years in England, where he served in the British Army. He earned his BSc (1947) and PhD (1950) in electrical engineering from London University, while working, and was on the faculty there for 3 years. From 1957-1960, Barrington taught at Harvard, serving as a lecturer and research fellow on the Cambridge Electron Accelerator. He authored the book, "High Vacuum Engineering," dozens of technical papers and reviews, and held British and U.S. patents in his research specialties. From 1966-1970, he was a division chief at NASA's Electronics Research Center in Cambridge, MA. From 1970-2000, he was employed at the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, also in Cambridge, where he worked on measurement of transportation-related emissions and air quality. As Chief of the Environmental Measurement and Modeling Division, Barrington initiated and supervised the Volpe Center's technical work in acoustics and air quality measurement, modeling and analysis, airport security (detection of concealed weapons and explosives) and highway safety (detection of alcohol on the breath and in the blood of suspected drunk drivers). After he retired, he returned to the Volpe Center, part time, preparing and reviewing technical and administrative documents, and was doing this until recently. In addition to his government service, Barrington held jobs in industry: at GCA in Bedford, MA, Varian Associates in Palo Alto, CA, and Machlett Labs in Connecticut. He also served for 3 years at the Royal Naval Scientific Service in England. Barrington was a longstanding member of the IEEE and the IEE. Fred had many interests outside of work and could wire, plumb and repair almost anything. Including all things automotive. He diligently attended to yard work, home maintenance and the neighborhood tennis court, and enjoyed both singles and doubles tennis. Fred loved classical music and played chamber music throughout his adult life. He was also an avid bridge player. Fred had a great affinity for animals, particularly cats, and supported many animal welfare and human rights organizations. He was also a fiercely loyal friend. Fred lived in the Five Fields neighborhood in Lexington, MA from 1965-2006, when he moved to Lasell Village in Auburndale, MA. In recent months, he received care from Good Shepherd Community Care and at Hospice of the Fisher Home in Amherst, MA, where he continued to try to answer the many scientific questions he still had. He is survived by his daughter, Helen, of Belchertown, MA, cousin Elly Kraines and her husband Nate of Brookfield, Wisconsin, and their family; and friends around the country and the globe. Fred was pre-deceased by spouses Ruth (Rosen) and Dorothy (Towsley). Donations can be made to Hospice of the Fisher Home, 1165 N. Pleasant St., Amherst, MA 01002; Good Shepherd Community Care, 90 Wells Ave., Newton, MA 02459; or Mass Audubon, 208 South Great Road, Lincoln, MA 01773. Memorial plans are yet to be determined. Beers & Story Belchertown Funeral Home is handling arrangements. "