Darlene Rutherford
Nov. 22, 1937-Dec. 16, 2019
Portola Valley, CA
Submitted by Kurt Rutherford

Darlene Eloise Tell Rutherford was born November 22, 1937 in Turlock California. She passed away peacefully on December 16, 2019. Darlene grew up on a dairy farm in Hilmar, California, and went to both North Park College in Chicago and San Jose State University, earning a bachelor's degree in Nursing. She worked as a public health nurse in Santa Clara County for close to ten years before marrying Sherman Rutherford and moving to Torino, Italy for a year. Darlene and Sherman returned to California and had two sons. She then spent the next 50 years making her home a welcome refuge for friends and family, as well as volunteering her time in the community and the church. Darlene was a loving, gracious person who cared deeply about others. She worked as a Patient Relations Advocate at Stanford Hospital and started or led Stephen Ministries at three different churches. Her beloved husband Sherman preceded her in death by one year.

Darlene is survived by her brother and two sisters, Durwood Tell, Mavis Tell, and Marianne Bovee, as well as her two sons, Philip Rutherford and Kurt Rutherford, their spouses Wendy and Jenny, and five grandchildren whom she loved and prayed for daily: Levi, Luke, Lucy, Benjamin and Grace.

She was sustained throughout her life by her faith in Jesus Christ. Her faith gave her strength throughout her two year battle with pancreatic cancer, to which she ultimately succumbed, going gracefully into God’s hands.

Services for Darlene will be held at Peninsula Covenant Church in Redwood City on Saturday January 11th at 2pm.