Alan – September 26, 1954 – July 9, 2018
Carla – December 1, 1953 – July 9, 2018
Rutherford, Alan and Carla (nee Holmes) – Alan and Carla Rutherford passed tragically on Monday, July 9, 2018. The happy couple just celebrated their 11 year wedding anniversary this Spring. Both were highly involved members of the community including several Quilters Guilds, The Royal Hamilton Yacht Club and The Halton Outdoor Club. Carla, loving mother to Richard (Evangelia) Taylor and Christopher (Talia) Taylor, and proud grandmother to Olivia, Matthew, Violet and Chelsey. Remembered by her father Victor Holmes and his wife the late Annie Jean Holmes, her sister Vicky (Mike) Pickup, and many nieces and nephews. Alan, loving father to Alison Plato and Amelia (Cory) Ryan. Brother to Paul (Glenn) Rutherford, Carol Fearman and Brenda (Wayne) Moerschfelder. Papa Al will also be remembered by his four grandchildren. They shared a mutual love of labradors and lab coats. In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides and the Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation. Friends and family are invited to Turner Family Funeral Home, 53 Main Street, Dundas, on Saturday, July 14th from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. A Funeral Service will take place on Sunday, July 15th at St. Paul’s United Church at 2:00 p.m. with a Celebration of Life to follow at the Royal Hamilton Yacht Club, 555 Bay Street North, Hamilton.
I am so sorry for the lose of Carla and Alan, I am so sorry i cant be at the funeral as i am working and cant get it off, thinking of all my family and thinking of Alans family also!!! They will be missed!!
Dear Chris and Talia,
We are deeply saddened to hear this tragic news. Parents are such special people in our lives and I know they loved you both dearly. They left you suddenly, but will always be with you in your memories and stories. Sending you all the love and strength in the world to manage through these difficult days.
Love
Janet and Andrew
Our heart felt condolences to all of you at this tragic time.
Sincerely, Ian and Irene Hallford
Such a tragic loss of a thoughtful, friendly lady. Carla was generous with her time and talents, and a delight to be with. She will be sorely missed by the members of Brant Heritage Quilters Guild, and I’m sure by everyone who knew her.
So sorry to hear of this tragic loss – my thoughts and prayers are with all of you and I pray that you will find peace in your hearts and remember all the wonderful times together. (Member of BHQG)
Words cannot express our deepest and most heart felt condolences to Al and Carla’s family and friends. May you both Rest In Peace ❤️
Our prayers and thoughts are with you and your families at this most difficult time. God bless.
My heart felt condolences go to the family, I worked a short time with Al but I do know that many people at HRLMP have been truly touched by this tragedy.
I didn’t have the pleasure of knowing Al and Carla for very long…but when I moved onto Greening Court they made me feel so welcome! I loved talking to Carla and Al about cycling, and sailing, and taking care of my house and yard, and of course about dogs! They were kind and thoughtful people, and excellent neighbours.
They will be deeply missed by all on the Court, and by so many people whose lives they touched…like me.
Such a devastating loss. I worked with Carla in the lab at the Hamilton General and she was always so happy and kind.- it was always great to work with her. And she had such a great laugh! My deepest sympathies.
Angela and I are thinking of you and your family Chris. We are very sorry for your loss and would like to share our heartfelt condolences. Sincerely, Casey & Angela
Carla will be greatly missed by her quilting family. Her energy, generosity and kindness will always be inspiration for all of us. Our sincere condolences go out to her family as they deal with this sudden tragic loss. Sue Baldauf BHQG
I knew both Carla and Al from working with them in the Hamilton Laboratory System. They were a great couple and I am deeply saddened by their untimely passing in such a tragic way. Carla was one of our Senior Techs at the Hamilton General and it was a privilege to work with such a competent, upbeat and energetic colleague who always had a can do attitude. My condolences to all family and friends who are affected by this tragedy.
I was so shocked and deeply saddened to hear about this tragedy. I worked with Al at Hamilton Health Sciences, in different labs but whenever our paths crossed he showed himself to be a truly wonderful person. My heart goes out to the families and close friends of both Al and Carla. So very sorry for your loss.
It’s so heartbreaking to hear this sad news about our quilting sister and her dear husband. Sincere condolences to the family.
I had the privilege of knowing both of this wonderful couple from the day they started in Clinical Chemistry.
I knew Alan most as he moved to our area of Biochemical Genetics.in 2003.
He was a great person to have as part of our dedicated team. He had a strong job committment, loyal,and brought events from outside the lab to all of us. I shared with him his love of theatre,running and sailing but I was never as good as he was in any of these activities. ( we often joked about that issue)
We are truely saddened by this event and we offer our sympathy to their children,grandchildren andextended families over these coming days.
My husband and I are so saddened to hear of the tragic passing of Al and Carla. Carla and Al have been a part of our family for many years and will be truly missed by my brother, sister in law and nieces. We really enjoyed having Al and Carla visit us in BC and will cherish those memories.
Our thoughts are with all the family and friends.
We are saddened by the news of this devastating event and your tragic loss. Please accept our most sincere sympathies. Our prayers and thoughts are with you and your families.
Carla was one of the brightest lights in the room. Her cheerful and ‘can-do’ attitude was what we all loved about her. A beautiful person, inside and out. She will be dearly missed by all.
My sincere condolences to the family. Such a tragic loss of good people. I knew Al from working at Mac; we connected over travel and had many discussions about interesting destinations. He was a kind and gentle man who was quick with a smile and always interested in other people’s lives.
We are so sorry for your loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this very sad time. Please know that we are always here to help you through the days ahead. Lorri, Tim, Jessica, DJ & Adele
We are going to miss Al’s quiet and thoughtful nature on the Royal Hamilton Yacht Club (RHYC) sailing committee. He was a dedicated man and always supportive, friendly, an excellent team player, and leader. We are also so thankful for his patience and mentorship in teaching about Race Committee roles while on board the Commodore Penny. Thursday nights will never be the same on board. We will also miss Carla’s smiling face and friendly charm. Our condolences go out to the family of Al and Carla.
Warren and Darlene Norwood
Ritchie, we were saddened to hear of the loss of your parents. Our family thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time.
My heart felt condolences, I am so sorry for your loss. Carla was a wonderfully caring individual and I will cherish my memories of all the times we shared. She was always there looking out for us as kids and she will be deeply missed. Please know that you are all in my thoughts in this tragic time.
My MOST heart felt condolences to all who loved Alan & Carla. We’re all in shock by what has happened and I can not imagine the pain felt by their children, grandchildren and close friends. They were such an awesome couple, full of life, happy and enjoying their retirement! Absolutely tragic and I will miss you both so very much.
My deepest condolences to your family. Carla was an inspiring quilter and friend. She would see a picture of a quilt and have the knowledge to bring it to life in one of her own quilts. My thoughts and prayers are with your family in this very difficult time. Hold your memories close to your heart, and they will help you through this.
Gwen – BHQG
On behalf of the entire Halton Outdoor Club, we wish to express our most sincere condolences to everybody who knew and loved Alan and Carla. We are all so deeply saddened and moved by this epic tragedy. I personally had the pleasure of cycling and xcountry skiing with Alan over the years. He was a quiet man, but when he spoke, I listened. I always appreciated his presence. I will miss riding along side him. I will also miss his “old school” corduroy knickers (xcountry skiing) . They always made me smile. Our brother was not only a strong cyclist, xcountry skier, but a sailor, a marathon runner, a husband, a father and our friend. May you rest in peace my friend, along side your beautiful bride.
Roll on.
I am so sorry for your loss, my thoughts and prayers to you and your family.
To the family and friends of Carla and AL I am very sorry for your sudden loss. I knew Carla only a very short time through the Brant Heritage Quilt Guild. She quickly offered to do some long arm quilting for me for charity quilts. She was kind and generous and full of joy. A great loss, she will be sadly missed.
The Brant Heritage Quilters Guild will miss Carla. She was a vibrant part of our quilting community, always quilting for others, making charity quilts for seniors, nursing homes, Children’s Aid, Alzheimers’ patients, etc. She will be truly missed.
So sorry to hear the tragic news of Carla and Alan’s passing. They were both so kind to me when I was hired by the lab nearly 10 years ago. Carla spent hours going over Core Lab concepts with me, and I will never forget her generosity with her time and knowledge. This is such a terrible loss, and my heart goes out to Carla and Alan’s families.
I had the pleasure of working with both Carla and Al in the laboratory program. Fantastic individuals to work with. I am deeply saddened by the loss of these two. My sincerest sympathy to their family. They will be missed.
We send our sincerest condolences to you, Ritchie and Chris and your families at this very sad time.
Dave and Marnie Strauch
We are sorry and deeply saddened to hear the tragic news of Carla and Alan’s passing. Heart felt condolences to Alan and Carla’s families You all are in our thoughts and prayers, may God give you peace and comfort at this very difficult time. We hope your memories and times together will bring comfort and smiles in the days to come. They will be missed by many.
Love
Ken and Debbi Roth
We lost an amazing & truly beautiful person in Carla. She was always there for me when I had quilting questions and most recently guidance and stories of the fun of owning 2 labradors. Carla & I had many connections in life including the fact my husband’s & her family were from the same town in Northern Ireland. I will truly miss my friend & quilting sister.
Kim Callaghan, Brant Heritage Quilters’ Guild, Ancaster Modern Quilters’ Guild
My heart felt condolences to Alan and Carla’s loved ones. You are in my thoughts and prayers. Thinking of you in this difficult time Amelia, sending you and your family love and strength.
Sincerely, Anik
Evange, I’m so sorry to hear of this loss. You have a strong buoyant spirit, which I know will help you navigate through this time. My condolences to you and your family.
Evange,
There are no words. I can only offer my shoulders. They are yours whenever you need them.
My Deepest Sympathy ,for the tragic loss of Alan & Carla .
To the Family,
Please accept my sincere sympathy both personally and on behalf of the Halton Outdoor Club. My heart goes out to all of you. Many of us knew Alan from our club ski bus. He was a lovely, dignified man. He will be missed by our membership.
Take very good care of yourselves during this challenging time. Know that our thoughts are with you.
Teri Kramer
Allan was a valued member of our modelling club at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum. His interest in building model planes and positive comments and willingness to help at all events were always appreciated. Our whole club will miss his presence. Please accept our condolences on your loss.
So shocked and saddened to hear of Carla and Alan’s untimely passing. My deepest condolences go out to their families with the hope that somehow, someday they can deal with this tragedy. I worked with Al and Carla for many years at MUMC and considered them to be friends as well as co-workers. We shared many life events, lots of laughs and good times. They were good, caring people, dedicated and skilled lab technologists and I consider myself privileged to have known them. Their passing has left a huge hole in our lab family heart.
There are no words for the sadness that surrounds the passing of Al and Carla. To their family, friends, and former colleagues, may you feel peace and the joy of having shared so much with them. To the members of the Royal Hamilton Yacht Club, and especially the members of the Race Committee for whom the loss will be so deeply felt, I send heartfelt condolences.
I had the pleasure of working with both Al and Carla during my early career in the lab at McMaster. They were
wonderful people….kind and always willing to lend a helping hand. We had many conversations and laughs about
our various dogs over the years. Their tragic passing will leave a big hole in the hearts of everyone who knew and
loved them. My sincere condolences.
I am very saddened by the loss of our quilting family member Carla and her husband Alan. Carla was an amazing person, always happy to share her quilting knowledge with us. Her mentorship, especially with novice quilters like me will truly be missed. She would come to guild meetings with new creations every month to inspire us in show and tell and bring the numerous quilts she donated to our Outreach program. We will all miss her laughter and happieness.
With my deepest sympathies,
Becky, Brant Heritage Quilters Guild
Absolutely shocked and so sorry to hear of their passing and in such away.
We are so saddened to hear of Karla & Alan’s tragic passing. Our sincere condolences and prayers are with the family at your time of loss of their loved ones.
Dear Chris and Tal,
I am so sad to hear about your tragic loss. My deepest condolences and thoughts to you and your families. I hope your cherished memories with your Mom and Alan offer some comfort to you at this difficult and heartbreaking time.
I am thinking of you both and sending you lots of love.
Age
We are so very sad at the loss of Alan and Carla. We feel blessed to have had the opportunity to know them with the interesting company and generosity of spirit that they brought to every get together. I will greatly miss long bike rides with Alan and the requisite beers and conversation afterwards. They were both exceptional people and memories of times together will last for ever. Our sympathies are with you.
We are so sorry for your loss. Sending thoughts and love during this tragedy.
Please accept our sincere condolences for the passing of Carla and Alan.
The Friday before,, Was the first time I had met Carla. You see, my daughter Kaitlin was sad because she didn’t have any friends for her 18th birthday. Carla came and presented Kaitlin with the most beautiful quilt I had ever seen! Although it was made by members of the Brant heritage quilters guild- she proudly showed us the machine stitching she had done- it was such amazing work (and talent). She visited us for a while and spoke so affectionately of her grandchildren and Labrador’s. She was one of the Kindwst woman I have ever met. I feel the loss after knowing her an hour. My thoughts and prayers ar with her entire family and all her friends.
Alan was a great friend and supporter of my friend David, especially after David was admitted to St.Joseph’s Villa in Dundas. Alan visited David at least twice every week to have a chat and help David with his computer. Alan and Carla were wonderful, generous people and they have passed away much too early with so much life still to enjoy.
My wife and I would like to express our deepest sympathy to their family and friends.
So very sad and sorry to hear of this tragic loss. May you go from strength to strength.
I met Carla and Alan when they came out to my dance classes in Dundas. Such amazing people! They did so much for others, including donating items for me to use with the street ministry work I did with those in need. I was blessed to know and consider Alan and Carla my friends. You will never be forgotten.