OBITUARY
Gary Charlton Rutherford
October 18, 1933 – December 29, 2018
Gary is lovingly remembered by his family: wife of 62 years, Jean (Goodfellow), sons Richard (Diana), Paul (Kerstin) and daughter Deidre (Kelly) Moran, his grandchildren Daryl (Cara) Keck, Nicole (Marco) Crescenzi, Sara Rutherford, Perry Rutherford and Caitlin Moran and a great granddaughter, Cameron Keck; brothers Gordon (Sandy), Douglas (Wendy) and Robert (Karen); brother-in-law James Goodfellow; and, numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Gary was born in Swift Current, Saskatchewan to William Kenneth Rutherford and Evelyn Joan Sommerfeld who along with his stepmother Elizabeth Rutherford preceded him in death. He joined the army as a very young man and became a physical education instructor. Gary worked in the lumber industry and as a labour relations manager, a motel owner/operator, a welder and at the University of Victoria in custodial services. He and Jean were able to travel throughout Canada, UK, Mexico and parts of the USA before health concerns overtook them. Gary was caregiver to Jean for numerous years before dementia impacted him as well. Fortunately, Gary and Jean have been able to live together at Beckley Farm Lodge during the past four years where they have received excellent and loving care. Gary was a tall, slim good-looking man who liked well-made clothing; his closet was bigger than Jean’s. Being colour blind meant he had an inordinate number of brown or beige articles of clothing, but they all looked great on him. He kept his shoes polished and would often wear a hat when was striding down a street or hiking in nature. He enjoyed the rhythm of the natural world and was particularly fond of watching birds and taking his children out for walks to observe flora and fauna. Gary enjoyed reading, learning and mastering new things ranging from construction, home repair and chess and was excited about the power and opportunity of the internet, investing and real estate. He was generally a private and reserved man and yet he loved to laugh. He entertained his children with stories and even as his dementia overtook him by rhyming and singing. Gary was immensely proud of his immigrant family heritage who arrived in Newfoundland during the early 1800s and later included Scottish, Norwegian and Prussian immigrants arriving in Canada and the United States. Gary’s approach to life was greatly impacted by being a child of the Depression and of the Prairies. Nothing was to be wasted or spent unwisely. He loved deeply, as evidenced by his enduring romance with Jean and in the pleasure he took in learning about the adventures of his family.
A family event will take place at later date when we will wear brown or beige and toast Gary with a single malt, modestly priced scotch or two. We will also enjoy some food. Gary’s advice about desserts will serve as a guide for us. He would say, “Divide a pie in five, eat a whole pie”. Gary would most likely think cake would be appropriate for this event and as he did so often, suggest, “Any cake will do, as long as it is chocolate”.
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Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Gary Charlton Rutherford 2018..
Source: First Memorial Funeral Services & Garden of Memories
Death notice for the town of: victoria, Province: Colombie britanique