Valerie Ann Rutherford

Valerie Ann Rutherford (nee Hooper/Vinson), dearly loved wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, and friend unexpectedly passed away in Menifee, California on Monday, September 14th, 2020 while home with family, at the age of 60 years.

Valerie “Val” was born March 1960 in Glendale, California to parents Billy Vinson, Amy Hooper, and Vern Hooper.  She was raised in the quintessential blended family with seven half siblings. She attended Douglas High-Middle School in Minden, Nevada and James Monroe High School in North Hills, California and earned her Associates Degree in Fine Arts from Cypress College, in California.   

Valerie began her own family as a loving single mom to her firstborn, Pete. A few years later married Bill Hurd and was blessed with three more wonderful sons, Robert, Michael, and Will.  For a time, they settled as a family in Buena Park, California.  After raising her adored sons, in California then Georgia, and back to California, she would meet her beloved companion and husband, Larry Rutherford. Together they would retire in Menifee, California, in her dream home while enjoying the surrounding nature and wildlife critter visits.

Valerie was a kind and compassionate care-giver, a talented artist and retired newspaper page-designer and editor. Publicly, she sold artwork under the name Valerie Vinson. Her acrylic paintings often emphasized her blending of abstract, impressionist and modernistic techniques.  She enjoyed painting as a way to connect with others, and express her feelings and experiences.  Being graced with unique family origins would spark joyful curiosity and nurture one of her other lifelong passions, Genealogy. She was our family historian and our fact finding guru. To say Val will be missed, is an understatement.

Valerie was preceded in death by her mother Amelia “Amy” Vinson (nee Striker/Bimberg) of Reno, Nevada, step-father Vern Hooper of Sepulveda, California, brother Robert ”Bob” and sister-in-law Sonja (nee Leus) Hooper of Reseda, California, and former spouse Bill Hurd Jr. of Las Vegas, Nevada.  

Valerie is survived by her husband Larry Rutherford, sons Pete Vinson, Robert Hurd, Michael Hurd, Will (Samantha) Hurd III, father Billy (Barbara) Vinson, sisters April Hooper (Nathan Grant), Cynthia Cooper, Deanne Dernhelm, brothers Tom Vinson, Randy Vinson, Gary (Debbie) Vinson, former sister-in-law Suzanne Sutter, maternal nieces Jennifer Amundson, Christina Sutter-Vieting, Kimberly (Jared) Linkhart, great-nieces Alyssa, Emma and great-nephews Cody, Jesse, and Jacob. 

Graveside Memorial Service will be held, Friday, October 9th at 10:00am at Montecito Memorial Park and Mortuary, 3520 E Washington St., Loma Linda, CA 92354. Funeral home arrangements are by Evans-Brown Mortuary, Sun City, CA. Memorial donations may be sent to the Second Chance Pet Adoptions Organization.

Topic: Remembering Valerie Rutherford

Time: Oct 9, 2020 10:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2534069484?pwd=NGtWcElkbmJmdmhuN1FBbUYvbTN4UT09

Meeting ID: 253 406 9484

Passcode: withlove

GET TOGETHER

We thought it would be nice to have a get together the day before the service so that those who are unfamiliar with Zoom can ask questions and so that everyone can meet each other and share more freely.  Use the same link above on Thursday, 10/8/20 at 10:00 am.

April Hooper (sister)

310 313 2879 (cell phone)

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