Former Republic community relations manager Diane Rutherford remembered for warmth, service

She was known as "the den mother of the southeast Valley," her newspaper colleagues said.

Warm, inviting and quick-witted, Diane Rutherford's life seemed tied to her belief in the value of connection.

For 25 years she worked in community relations at The Arizona Republic, spreading her creativity across other Arizona organizations along the way. She did more than fundraise and organize; she took her work to heart, understanding the weight of advocacy and letting it not overwhelm but guide her, according to colleagues.

Whether it was the offices she worked in or lavish dinner parties at her home, she could make any size room feel small and comfortable, for an elected official or an everyday person.

As coordinator of The Republic's Newspapers in Education program starting in 1988, Rutherford helped take newspapers into local classrooms, teaching students about math, science and civics. When she switched to community relations in 1997, she worked with teachers at low-income schools for The Republic's award-winning "1-2-3 Read" initiative, which taught first-graders literacy skills each year through third grade.

"It was very important to us to be out in the community in a very authentic way, and that can only happen if you were embedded in that community," said Gene D'Adamo, who worked with Rutherford during his stint as vice president of community relations at The Republic. "Diane was so embedded in that community."

Rutherford died Aug. 5 at 69 years old, after a 10-year battle with Alzheimer's disease. Steve Corman, her husband, said it was a long and unpleasant road, but she didn't shy away from sharing the details of her experience, for her penchant for authenticity was a hallmark of her life. Her memory faded, but the memories she left her family and friends only burn brighter.

Rutherford was born June 1, 1955, in Bonne Terre, Missouri, to Isaac P. "Ike" and June Rutherford. She found a passion for words and earned a bachelor's in English in 1977 from Central Methodist University in Fayette, Missouri. She went on to pursue a master's degree in communications at Pittsburgh State University in Pittsburg, Kansas, in 1979 and also attended graduate school at the University of Illinois, where she met her future husband.

For Corman, it was love at first sight. He said it's difficult to pinpoint exactly why he fell in love; it was everything about her. They were engaged after six months and married a year later.

"Just such a kind, giving person," he said. "Everybody liked her."

A passion for helping children

Rutherford was deeply passionate about child welfare. At the East Valley Child Crisis Center, she served two terms as a board member and one term as president. Founder Christine Scarpati said Rutherford went above and beyond in working to prevent child abuse.

"She just seemed to grasp everything," Scarpati said. "A lot of people don't. You talk about child abuse and neglect, and they have different ideas about it and why people do it. But Diane understood from the beginning the need for prevention and to support families."

Scarpati recalled the beautiful suits Rutherford wore to events. She could have been a model, she said. Always prepared and organized, she often spoke at fundraising events and had a keen sense of how to work a crowd. She always seemed to know when a fellow staff member needed an extra hug or positive affirmation, Scarpati said.

Rutherford was his "right-hand man," and the two formed a deep friendship, said D'Adamo, now president and CEO of the Nina Pulliam Trust. She recognized where systemic change was needed within the community and wasn't interested in competing with other agencies and nonprofits, he said — she focused on communication and making change through partnership.

"What I really liked about her was just her dedication to the nonprofits that we serve," said Laura McBride, Nina Pulliam Trust Arizona senior program officer. McBride also worked in The Republic's community relations department with Rutherford, who coached her extensively and offered insights about the East Valley.

"She wanted to know what their issues were and how we as a newspaper could help and elevate their concerns a little bit."

In addition to her work at The Republic and the Child Crisis Center, Rutherford spent time as an assistant professor in the professional communications department at Alverno College in Milkwaukee, an instructor in the Department of Communications at Arizona State University and a loaned executive at Valley of the Sun United Way.

Dinner parties, gourmet cooking and quilts

In their small department at The Republic, McBride said she and her colleagues jokingly called themselves "the best and the brightest." Rutherford was the best and brightest of them all, McBride said: someone people could trust and weighing decisions thoughtfully.

McBride recalled one year when multiple members of the department were on vacation and missed Rutherford's birthday. When they came back to the office, they decided to throw her a half-birthday party — literally. With black-and-white cookies and sandwiches split into halves, the close group made the best of the party, even including only half of a cake. Rutherford loved it.

When she wasn't working with children or fundraising, Rutherford and her husband threw dinner parties at their home, inviting friends, students and new neighbors over to bond. Corman said the pair took up gourmet cooking, often making salmon — one of Rutherford's favorite foods — together.

D'Adamo said their dinners were full experiences, from the food and music to the table design.

Rutherford was a seamstress and loved making clothes and quilts. Her work looked like it belonged in a magazine, D'Adamo said; she could wrap a Christmas present flawlessly, and loved to give gifts like the homemade spices and sauces he received one year.

"She loved that — making people feel comfortable," he said.

Rutherford was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2013, when she retired from The Republic. Corman served as her caregiver until November 2019, when she moved into a care facility where she would live her final years.

Corman said he visited often, even during the COVID-19 pandemic when they were forced to talk behind glass through an intercom system. The two were married for 39 years. They had no children.

As close friends, Rutherford and Scarpati would meet regularly to see movies and have lunch together, Scarpati said. As Rutherford's memory began to slip, she started forgetting more and getting out less. They found ways to adjust: Scarpati would pick her up from the care facility to go visit cats at an Arizona Humane Society shelter or go shoe shopping, two of her favorite activities.

One memory in particular stands out to Scarpati. She was visiting Rutherford after her health had begun to decline, and she put 1960s music on.

It struck a chord in Rutherford's mind, and she got up to dance.

"She was a very special person," Scarpati said. "I just feel privileged that I was her friend."

Those wishing information about Rutherford's funeral are asked to email diane.rutherford.celebration@gmail.com .

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Former Republic community relations manager Diane Rutherford remembered for warmth, service