Patricia Dale Rutherford

Patricia "Pat" Rutherford, 78, of Chandler, Texas, passed away peacefully on June 2, 2026 at Hospice of East Texas in Tyler, Texas after a well fought five-year battle with Parkinson’s Disease. Pat was born Patricia Poynter on April 30, 1948 in Cave City, Kentucky to Schuyler and Harriett Poynter where she was raised in a close-knit family of ten children. She graduated from Caverna High School with the Class of 1966, where she met the love of her life, Stanley W. Rutherford of nearby Horse Cave. They were voted Mr. and Miss Senior and Pat was voted Most Talented. Following high school, Pat studied at business college before the two married and began their life together. Pat and Stan married in 1967, beginning a partnership that would span nearly 60 years. As the wife of a United States Army officer, Pat devoted herself wholeheartedly to her family as a homemaker and stay-at-home mother, raising their daughter, Heather, across numerous postings. Stan's final assignment brought the family to the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., where he served until his retirement in 1992. Pat loved their military life filled with travel, experiencing new places, cultures, and people along the way. During their time in Northern Virginia she began a new career, serving more than twelve years as Secretary at Jerusalem Baptist Church in Fairfax Station, Virginia. In March 2004, Pat and Stan retired and moved to Chandler, Texas, to be near their only daughter. Pat quickly became a cherished part of the community. She continued her life of faith and service as a member of Colonial Hills Baptist Church in Tyler, Texas, where she taught Vacation Bible School, served in the Women’s ministry, sang in the Silver Notes Senior Choir, and was an active member of her Prayer Warriors Sunday School class. Pat embraced life with warmth, sincerity, and a generous spirit. She found great joy in arts and crafts, music and dance, teaching children, and playing with her grand puppies. Above all, she cherished her family and her personal relationship with Jesus Christ. She was known for her faithfulness, her kind and compassionate nature, her gentle demeanor, and her servant's heart - qualities that touched everyone who knew her. She is survived by her husband, Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Stanley Rutherford of Chandler, TX; her daughter, Heather Rutherford Mensch and husband Tom of Mt. Juliet, TN; her brother Paul Richard Poynter and wife Jo Anne of Cave City, KY, and brother Jerry Poynter and partner Maggie of Horse Cave, KY; brother-in-law Randall Chapman of Cave City, KY; brother-in-law David Rutherford and wife Wanda of Cave City, KY; sister-in-law Linda Conver of Louisville, KY; and numerous extended family members and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, Schuyler and Harriett Poynter; her brothers Warren, William, J.V., Clarence, and Curtis Poynter; her sisters, Helen Byrd and Ruby Chapman; her father in-law and mother in-law, Lloyd Rutherford and wife Francis; and her brother-in-law, Leigh Conver. Visitation will be held on Monday, June 8, 2026 from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. at Stewart Family Funeral Home in Tyler, Texas. A Celebration of Life Service will follow on Tuesday, June 9, 2026 at 2:00 p.m., also at Stewart Family Funeral Home in Tyler, Texas. A future celebration of life is being planned in Kentucky for relatives and friends who are unable to travel to Texas. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Colonial Hills Baptist Church in Tyler, Texas.

Patricia Dale Rutherford

April 30, 1948 - June 2, 2026