GARTH LEES RUTHERFORD

(October 27, 1928 – December 17, 2025) You can take the boy out of the 'Peg, but never the 'Peg out of the boy. Certainly, that was the case with Dad. Born to Lillian Catherine (McMillan) and Dr. William Gordon Rutherford of Winnipeg in 1928; and younger brother of Burns ("Bun") Rutherford (formerly of the Toronto Star), Dad's family on both sides had been Scottish pioneers. They farmed at Margaret and near Bradwardine, Manitoba, before second generations moved to "The City." Dad, as with so many of his contemporaries, was deeply affected by his experiences growing up during the "Dirty Thirties" and then the war years. Times were tough and not always happy. Politically, he became a staunch social democrat and die-hard supporter of the CCF and then the NDP, values he passed on to his children. But despite the times, all was not grim, for he loved and took great pride in his high school, Gordon Bell. He would recall fun days playing road hockey in the dead of winter, using frozen horse manure as pucks. Or skating along the iced-over river. He loved the big skies and crisp, sunny, cold days of a Manitoba winter. And summers so hot you could fry an egg on the sidewalk. Trips out to the farm were also highlights. Dad graduated with a BSc and MSc (Chemistry) from the University of Manitoba, spending summers working in the Peace River District of Alberta doing geological surveys. He also won a geography scholarship which took him to Stanstead, Quebec. In his heart, he was a geographer, not a chemist, and would have loved a life out of the lab and out on the land. But in the mid-50s the jobs were in the booming petrochemical industry, and he felt lucky to land a job with DuPont Canada in Maitland, Ontario. Before that, life gifted him a beautiful hand in the shape of one Rilla Reid of Rivers, Manitoba. They met at a dance. Instantly smitten, Garth and Rilla married in Winnipeg in 1955, and then made their home together first in Brockville, and then in Kingston, Ontario. They raised two children, son, Tod and daughter, Jill. There were family camping trips out West or down East, with a tent trailer towed by a much-loved Ford Galaxy 500. Those were formative trips for us kids, deepening our appreciation for the Canadian landscape, a gift Dad gave us. Later in life, he delighted in his grandsons, Jack, Jesse and Raphael, their funny ways and developing interests. He especially enjoyed spending several winters in New Zealand where daughter Jill and family lived. Dad also had a soft spot for his beloved cats, an introvert's constant companions. A Dupont employee for 35 years, Garth's professional expertise lay in gas and liquid chromatography. He ran his own lab, and, ever the perfectionist, spent hours maintaining meticulous lab reports. He was a dedicated and conscientious worker, determined to do his best, both as an employee and as a provider for his family. Dad made sure we had a good home and food on the table, no small thing for a child of the Depression. But his real passions lay elsewhere, in maps and atlases, Winnipeg history, the weather, sports (Bombers, Jets, Minnesota Vikings, Blue Jays, Canadiens), and The News. Even in his last year, bedridden, he'd have that TV on endlessly watching CNN or CBC. He loathed Trump and was definitely an "Elbows Up" Canadian to the end. Dad wasn't a content man – there was so much in the world to be angry about – but he kind of enjoyed a good rage. Well, Dad, you've "raged, raged into the dying of the light" and you certainly fought the good fight. May your spirit touch once more the rich black soil of Manitoba. Dad leaves his devoted and loving wife, Rilla; son, Tod (Yasmin Guevera) of Rochester, NY; daughter, Jill (Dave Hanan) of Dunedin, New Zealand; and grandsons, Jack and Jesse Hanan (Dunedin), and Raphael Rutherford (Rochester). A Celebration of Life will take place at 3 p.m. on Saturday, January 3, 2026, at the Township Chapel of the Gordon F. Tompkins Funeral Homes, Kingston, Ontario. In Garth's memory, please consider a donation to the Friends of the CBC, the New Democratic Party of Canada, the University of Manitoba, the Council of Canadians or any social justice charity of your choice. Livestreaming of the service is available at www.GFTompkins-Township.ca.