It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved founder
William L. Rutherford
Dec. 28, 1914 - Nov. 21, 2006.
Memorial services were held at 2p.m. December 9, 2006 on the Hespell Deck
at the Hazel and Bill Rutherford Wildlife Prairie State Park.
There will be no visitation.
Memorials may be made to the Friends of Wildlife Prairie State Park, 3826 N. Taylor Rd. Hanna City, IL 61536. | Rutherford was acknowledged two decades ago among Newsweek Magazine's
"One Hundred Heroes of Our Time."
| - "I can't say enough about Bill. He did more in this area for the environment, getting all those thousands of acres for the (Peoria) park district."
"It was just great to know he was a friend. I'm going to miss him."
State Sen. George Shadid, D-Peoria
- "I think people don't realize there's no other person in central Illinois who's had the incredible impact on the people that he had," said
U.S. Rep. Ray LaHood, R-Peoria. "He just had an extraordinary vision of what central Illinois could be culturally and environmentally."
- "We've lost a giant, I'll tell you," said Chris Lofgren, public information director for OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, one of the many medical facilities that also benefited from donations Rutherford produced through his foundation.
Everyone who's walked through Wildlife Prairie Park, Forest Park Nature Center, Jubilee College State Park, Peoria's and East Peoria's park districts, the Rock Island Trail State Park, Brookfield Zoo near Chicago or, for that matter, 620,000 acres of conservation parkland in southern Australia owes Rutherford their thanks. The same is due from beneficiaries of OSF Saint Francis and Methodist medical centers, the Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Lakeview Center for the Arts and Sciences, Lincoln College Library in Lincoln and Greater Peoria Regional Airport, among other area institutions Rutherford founded or helped grow. Rutherford promoted and helped finance the beautification of Peoria Heights, where he made his home, and crowned the effort with the village's observation tower, complete with its six-foot cedar woodpecker forever pecking a hole in its side. Why, he once was asked, the woodpecker? "It got your attention, didn't it?" he said, smiling.
| Excerpts from his online guest book: | | November 24, 2006 | | | Bill Rutherford was a visionary unequaled by anyone I have known. I would not be the person I am today if it had not been Bill Rutherford's gentle nudging, telling me to take chances and strive to be the best I can be. Here's to you Mr. Bill - from your friend Mr. Mike. | | | Mike Braten (Phoenix, AZ ) |
| | November 22, 2006 | | | Bill was a good man with a kind heart. I knew Bill from my affiliation with Seven Circles Heritage Center and with Return to Pimitoui Pow wow. At one of the pow wows I was honoring him for his community support and he turned and honored me by presenting me with a pin replica of his war dog statue. It was my honor to have known Bill. | | | John Boyer (Greeneville, TN ) |
| | November 22, 2006 | | | Sometimes we forget whose shoulders we stand on when pursuing our own professional goals. Mr. Rutherford was a visionary for sure and because of him thousand's of acres of valuable open space were preserved for future generations. His passion for conservation inspired me as a park and recreation professional to protect what it could when I could. I feel fortunate to have learned that lesson from Mr. Rutherford. The community of East Peoria and the people it was my pleasure to serve benefited from his wisdom, not mine. I hope Bill's legacy is preserved as is the land he inspired so many to protect. | | | Jim Coutts (Oregon, IL ) Executive Director Oregon Park District |
... I will greatly miss the twinkle in Mr. R's eyes when he came up with another great idea for Wildlife Prairie Park...
Brad McMillan, Dunlap Brad, So will we, so will we.
Thank you everyone for your heartfelt words at this difficult time.
Sincerely, Mr. R's Wildlife Prairie Park Family |
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Last Updated ( Monday, 10 March 2008 )
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