Bruce Allen Rutherford

Bruce A. “Pussy Cat” Rutherford, 64, formerly of Passaic, died on Monday August 1, 2022 in New York. He was born in Passaic on January 8, 1958. Bruce spent his formative years in Passaic where he attended elementary and junior high school. He completed his high school education at the Clara Muhammad School in Newark, NJ. While studying in Newark Bruce met Ms. Gladys Fisher. They fell in love and became the proud parents of daughter Khaleelah. Bruce was a former member of St. Paul’s Baptist Church of Passaic and a member of the Nation of Islam, Newark Temple #25 and Paterson Temple #76. After high school Bruce worked in a series of occupations to support his work with the Nation of Islam. He was a cook, a factory dispatcher, a small truck owner/operator, and a used car salesman, among other things. In 1983 Bruce joined the Navy and was stationed on the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga. He often talked about the time he spent in Spain where he felt that Black men were treated with the greatest respect. After the Navy Bruce attended the Bronx Community College where he earned an associate’s degree in business administration and the City College of New York where he earned a BA in English literature and Spanish. He was active in student government on both campuses. Bruce moved to St. Louis where he taught high school English and Spanish for many years. Bruce was always looking for a way to better help people, so after many years of teaching, he moved to California to attend Western State School of Law. Law school, however, was not the right fit for him so after a year he returned to New York to resume his teaching career. At the time of his death Bruce was working as an independent speech writer and teaching consultant. His focus was on tutoring grad school applicants on how to get better scores on the various graduate exams. Bruce leaves behind to celebrate his legacy his daughter Khaleelah Anderson of Maryland; his son Qwali Lumumba Rutherford of Clifton; his grandson Kevin Datrell Anderson and great-grandchildren Kameron Datrell Anderson and Adrianna Kai Anderson of Maryland; his sister Cheryl McCormick (James) of Twenty-nine Palms, California; his brother Robert “Pete” Rutherford (Amy) ofLouisville, KY; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. He was predeceased by his parents Lula Tremble Rutherford (1990) and Robert “RB” Rutherford, Sr. (1998), sister Barbara Rutherford (2007), brother Richard Rutherford (1988), and wife Letitia Rutherford (2022). He will be missed by all.

Bruce Allen Rutherford

January 8, 1958 - August 1, 2022