Michael Parrington (1944-2014)

Michael Parrington passed away peacefully at home in Burlington City on Saturday, October 18, 2014, surrounded by his loving family. He was 70 and will be missed and remembered fondly by so many.

Born in Lancashire, England, he moved to the Philadelphia area in 1976 and was a prominent archaeologist in the Philadelphia community, coauthoring the book *The Buried Past: An Archaeological History of Philadelphia* in 1992. He was a fan of the Phillies and the Beatles, a lover of folk music and walking, a founder and supporter of many local archaeological societies, and an ardent reader and book collector.

He was the loving husband of Helen (Linny) Schenck, doting father to Megan, Alice, and Ellen, and adoring grandfather to Emma, Simon, and Ruby. He is also survived by his siblings, Alan, Graham, Lindsay, and Susan, and many nieces and nephews.

His memorial service will be held on *Sunday, October 26th at 3:30 p.m. at the Burlington Friends Meeting House*, 340 High Street, Burlington, NJ.

In lieu of flowers folks can donate in Mike's memory to one of the archaeological societies that were closest to his heart: *Philadelphia Archaeological Forum* c/o Steve Tull, Treasurer, 437 High St., Burlington, NJ 08016; *Archaeological Society of New Jersey* c/o Michael Gall, Treasurer, 119 S. Main St., Medford, New Jersey 08055 (or online through the website, www.asnj.org<http://www.asnj.org>); or *Oliver Evans Chapter of the Society for Industrial Archeology* c/o Larry DeYoung, Treasurer, 54 N. Waterloo Rd., Devon, PA 19333.

http://www.buckscountycouriertimes.com/obituaries/bct/michael-parrington/article_deaffdfd-6f6d-5024-8229-f6ec9d2fce14.html

Archaeologist Michael Parrington conducted work throughout the Philadelphia region and at the African Burial Ground in New York City.

Selected references:

1979       Geophysical and Aerial Prospecting Techniques at Valley Forge National Historical Park, Pennsylvania. Journal of Field Archaeology 6(2):193-201.

1981       Medical Archaeology in Philadelphia: A Study of Early Twentieth Century Medicine Bottles Excavated at Batram's Garden. Expedition 23(3):34-38

1983       The History and Archaeology of Philadelphia Roads, Streets, and Utility Lines.  Pennsylvania Archaeologist 53(3): 19-31

Parrington, Michael, and Daniel G. Roberts
1984       The First African Baptist Church Cemetery: An Archaeological Glimpse of Philadelphia's Nineteenth Century Free Black Community. Archaeology Magazine 37(6):26-32.

1987       Cemetery Archaeology in the Urban Environment: A Case Study from Philadelphia. In Living in Cities: Current Research in Urban Archaeology, Special Publication Series No. 5, Society for Historical Archaeology.

Cotter, John L., Daniel G. Roberts, and Michael Parrington
1993       The Buried Past: An Archaeological History of Philadelphia. University of Philadelphia Press, Philadelphia, PA.