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Tom lived life on his own terms and across an enviable stretch of the American map.

Thomas Edward Rutherford, the youngest son of Arthur and Loyola Rutherford, passed away at home in Yuma, Arizona, where he had made his home in recent years. Born in Yonkers, New York, in January 1950, Tom was raised in the upstate New York towns of Fultonville and Hyde Park. The last of four siblings, preceded in death by his brothers Art Sr. and Paul, and his sister Lola.

Tom lived life on his own terms and across an enviable stretch of the American map. After his early years in New York, he made his way West to Hermosa Beach to join the scene with brothers Art and Paul, and their wives Kathy and Nancy. In 1974, Tom married Laurel Felando and made a home in Seattle, Washington. Work in private club management took Tom to San Diego, California; and San Leandro in the Bay Area before settling into the desert warmth of Yuma. Wherever he landed, he collected friends, stories, and memories.

For the last 35 years, Tom shared his life with Cindy Sue Florez. Together they fostered a lively circle of friends, cheered on each other's endeavors and later embraced the open road as retiree RV nomads. Tom was a loving father to Christine and Stephanie, a proud grandfather to Finley, and a cherished uncle to Paul and Andrew.

Tom was a man of many passions and contradictions, the kind that made him unforgettable. A guitarist who once made his way to the fields of Woodstock, he remained a lifelong Bob Dylan devotee. He loved the crack of a Yankees broadcast, the thrill of a roman candle or firecracker, the green quiet of a golf course, and the electric uncertainty of a craps table or the horsetrack. In his younger days, he pulled pranks on neighboring farmers and thumbed rides across the US as a hippie hitchhiker, experiences that fed the storybook he became for everyone who knew him.

Tom gave his time generously. He volunteered with City Team, supporting addiction recovery in the Bay Area, and stayed active in his communities as a member of the Yuma Democrats, the Old Mission Beach Athletic Club, the Yuma Elks, and various writing circles. Above all, he was a teller of jokes and stories, each one delivered with flair, a hearty chuckle, and a glint of mischief.

A memorial gathering will be held in the coming weeks. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests sharing a story, spinning a favorite Dylan record, or taking a chance on something unexpected; Tom would have appreciated all three.