Bruce Rutherford Obituary

Rutherford, Bruce Bruce Davidson Rutherford, age 84, passed away peacefully after a brief illness on April 5, 2020 at Seasons Hospice in Naperville, Illinois. Bruce was born March 6, 1936, in Chicago's Roseland Community Hospital to Robert and Jeanne (Wesselius) Rutherford. When he was eight years old, his parents moved west to suburban Downers Grove, his hometown for over seventy years. In 1943, his parents purchased and restored 710 Maple Avenue, a home built in 1856 by Jordan James Cole, captain of the semi-regular military organization called the Downers Grove Plow Boys that actively campaigned for Abraham Lincoln. Bruce graduated from Downers Grove North High School in 1953 and attended DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana and North Central College in Naperville, Illinois, where he earned a business degree. Before graduating from college, Bruce enlisted in the United States Army. He was trained as an infantryman and assigned to the 3rd Armored Division in Germany. While raising a family in Downers Grove, Bruce was a Farmers Insurance agent, retiring in 2004 after thirty-four years with the company. As a highly talented pitcher on the varsity baseball team in high school, Bruce was known for his fastball and curveball, capturing the interest of the Downers Grove community. He also played baseball during his military service. A baseball scout for the Kansas City Royals had been impressed by Bruce's abilities; however, a shoulder injury became a hindrance to a potential career in baseball. As a life-long Chicago Cubs fan, he rarely missed a televised Cubs game. Bruce also appreciated a good game of tennis and round of golf. Bruce was a Kermit the Frog impressionist, lover of classical music, voracious reader, deep thinker, and writer. Over the years, his letters to the editor on topics ranging from baseball to politics were published by the Chicago Tribune. He was also the author of Tressanela Noosepickle Where Are You Now? Unique Perspectives of Some Most Unusual, Astonishing, and Hilarious Authentic Names, a book written in a personal style with which Bruce shares his thoughts as a collector of unique names over many years. In his final years, Bruce enjoyed walks surrounded by nature in the Morton Arboretum and Doerhoefer Park with former wife Jill. He also thoroughly enjoyed having lunch at Culver's and Omega Restaurant with his "vivacious" granddaughter Eva, son Bob, and daughter-in-law Jen. During the summer of 2019, he felt the visit with his first-born son Dean and grandchildren Gavin and Lydia ("really good kids") was extraordinarily special and memorable. Bruce would frequently share a quote from an historical figure with his daughter Sarah as a way of offering encouragement. As a departing gesture, he may have shared one of his favorites: "Find ecstasy in life; the mere sense of living is joy enough" (Emily Dickinson). His memory will be kept alive by his former wife and dear friend, Jill Adams Rutherford of Downers Grove, Illinois; his three children, Dean Rutherford of Hailey, Idaho, Robert "Bob" (Jennifer) Rutherford of Romeoville, Illinois, and Sarah (Carlos) Rutherford Guarin of Woodbine, Maryland; his three grandchildren, Eva, Gavin, and Lydia; his sister Madlynne Ramsey of Columbus, North Carolina; and, brothers Jay (Judy) Rutherford of Centerville, Ohio, and Ross (Debbie) Rutherford of St. Charles, Illinois. A celebration of Bruce's life will be held at a later date. Sign Guest Book at legacy.suntimes.com