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WILLOW JOY RUTHERFORD
Born: May 15, 1926
Date of Passing: Mar 03, 2012
Send Flowers to the Family Offer Condolences or MemoryWILLOW JOY RUTHERFORD Willow Joy Rutherford (Bradford) Slipped away peacefully at 6:00 p.m. Saturday, March 3, 2012 at home in Nanaimo, BC. Willow was born May 15, 1926 in Lachute, PQ, daughter of Cecil and Victoria Bradford and sister to Ron. She grew up in East Selkirk MB, Moosomin, SK and Carman, MB and graduated from Kelvin High School in Winnipeg and Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing as a RN. She married Ed Rutherford in 1949 and they raised six boys together, born between 1950 and 1962. In 1972 she resumed her nursing career, then moved to Victoria, BC in 1982 where she continued nursing until retiring to Nanaimo in 1992. Willow was an attractive, talented, athletic, independent, forward-thinking woman who loved books, music, sports, art and her Cairn Terriers. She was an avid photographer and enjoyed summers at Star Lake, MB. She was a loving and generous mother, a wise and caring grandmother, and a proud great-grandmother. Her strength and spirit empowered her to overcome life's many challenges and enabled her to enjoy a healthy, quiet, and comfortable life in later years. She was loved and respected by those whose lives she touched. We will miss her wisdom, grace, wit, and humor and always remember her beaming smile, melodic voice and joyous laughter. Predeceased by two sons Mark (2010) and Peter (1987), Willow leaves behind her surviving sons Edwin, Gerald, Thomas and Bruce, and their father Ed Rutherford Sr., daughters-in-law Heather Rutherford, Marilyn Lowry and Jill Candlish and son-in-law Stephan St-Germain, grandchildren Willow Rutherford, Cassandra Rutherford and husband Bryn Epp, Coral Candlish-Rutherford, Autumn Candlish-Rutherford, Jody Candlish-Rutherford and Victoria Joy Rutherford, great-grandchildren Peter and Dinah Rutherford-Epp; devoted best friend Janet Sexsmith, and many other friends, relatives and extended family. We are all grateful to the staff of Vancouver Island Health home support for the excellent service they provided Mom with and at her request, there will be no formal service.
As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Mar 17, 2012
Condolences & Memories (1 entries)
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I had the good fortune to meet Willow when I was just a child. I became close friends with both Bruce and Peter at a tender age of 4 years old. I have always considered myself to be a lucky man to have shared time with Willow and the family through many years at Star lake in the summers and then back at school in Winnipeg. Willow was and will always remain in my mind one of the kindest, most patient souls a boy growing up could ever hope to have in his life. My entire family shares the feeling of loss in Willow's passing. Today and in the years to come I will repeatedly feel grateful having known Willow. - Posted by: Mark Mcalduff (friend of the family ) on: Mar 21, 2012