Frederick Spence Rutherford

Frederick S. Rutherford of Kalamazoo passed away peacefully in his home the evening of May 6, 2021. His preceding days were spent in the loving company and care of his children, Scott Rutherford and Kim Rutherford (Morgan Ash), and his long time companion- Lillian Mills.

Fred was born on December 23, 1938 in Flint, Michigan to Frank and Elizabeth (Spence) Rutherford and raised with his beloved sister Sarah Behrendt; all of whom preceded him in death. His childhood summers were spent sailing and playing tennis in Bay View, Petoskey, and Walloon Lake.

Fred dedicated his life to education upon his graduation from Purdue University in 1965. He first taught history at Hillside Junior High School before accepting a position at Kalamazoo Valley Community College where he worked as the Administrator of Media Services until his retirement in 1997. Throughout these years, Fred could also be found on the fields of the Oakwood Little League where he umpired countless games with patience and integrity.

Fred's greatest joy was raising his two children and caring for his many adoring pets. He loved animals of every kind and spent many days at the Meadow Run Dog Park. Fred's cat Kiki was by his side until the end.

Memorials can be directed to the Kalamazoo Humane Society. To view Fred's personalized webpage please visit https://www.langelands.com