Clifford Allen Rutherford

Clifford Allen Rutherford, 79, of Huntington, passed away Monday January 13, 2020, after a brief illness.  He was born February 11, 1940 in Huntington (Wayne County), WV, to the late Charles and Ethel Riggs Rutherford.  He graduated from Vinson High School in 1958.  Cliff was a member of the Vinson Tigers football team that won two State Championships.  He attended Marshall University followed by two tours of duty in the Navy, in the Mediterranean and South Pacific, as a submariner electrician mate on the Bugara and on the minesweeper, Observer.  After discharge from the Navy, Cliff moved to Alaska where he worked for the Air Force.  He graduated from the Alaskan Police Academy and served as an Alaskan State Police Officer.  He returned to Huntington to raise his family “in the lower 48.”  He worked in the Police Service at the Woody Williams VA Medical Center where he became Chief of the Department in 1977 and retired in 1995.  Cliff was an avid Marshall Football and Basketball fan.  He was a long time member of a bowling league and a golf league.  He participated in World of Poker Tournaments in Las Vegas, Nevada.  For more than fifteen years he and friends played poker.  He and his brother Frank travelled to Canada to fly fish and to Florida as well as Alaska to deep sea fish.  He loved family camping and boating get-togethers.  He was a genealogist and a charter member of the Wayne County Genealogical and Historical Society, where he served as vice president, president and board of directors.  In 2006 he was presented a WV History Hero Award.  In addition to his parents he was also preceded in death by sisters Beatrice, Phyllis and Fern and brothers Edward, Charles, Jerry and Frank and sister in law Delores.  Cliff is survived by his wife of 34 years, Ingrid; daughters Laura (Mike), Theresia (Ian), Deanna (Roger) and sons Eric and Kent (Cary) and step daughter Suzanne and her family.  He is also survived by many loving grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends and his lifelong friend Dwight Plymale.  Cliff was baptized and attended Westmoreland Baptist Church and Madison Avenue Christian Church.  Funeral services will be conducted at 1 pm Friday at the Reger Funeral Chapel by Pastor Eddie Gandy.  Burial will follow in Docks Creek Cemetery, Kenova.  Friends may call from 11 am until service time on Friday at the Reger Funeral Home.  Contributions may be made to the Emogene Dolin Jones Hospice House of Huntington.  Condolences may be made to the family at www.regerfh.com .   Finally be strong in the Lord and in His mighty powers.  Ephesians 6:10.