THE CASEY FAMILY IS HONORED TO BE ASSISTING AND CARING FOR THE FAMILY OF GREGORY J. RUTLEDGE
"Beloved Father, Grandfather, and Community Leader"
WATERTOWN - Gregory J. Rutledge (age 78) of Watertown passed away peacefully surrounded by the love and comfort of his family on Thursday, October 22, 2020 at Waterbury Hospital. He was the devoted husband of Maryellen (McKenna) Rutledge.
Mr. Rutledge was born on March 27, 1942 in Queens, New York City, to Gregory Thomas Rutledge and Helen McGuiness. As a child growing up in the Bronx, he loved stickball, 5-cent movies, and four-part harmony sung with friends on the corner. In his wild youth, he was known to broker peace accords as a member and Treasurer of the Bronx street gang, The Banshees.
He proudly served his country in the United States Air Force where he was stationed at Dover Air Force Base. People who served with him said "it was impossible not to like the guy." He spent his time in the Air Force as a mechanic, climbing out onto the wings of planes to fix them while they were still flying.
Throughout his life, he found escape in books -- whether it was the Tarzan books he discovered as a kid or the James Patterson books he devoured as an adult. He was a fiercely intelligent man who relentlessly pursued his education, earning top honors as a student at Post University, where he earned his Associates Degree (magna cum laude). He consistently challenged himself intellectually, always working out a puzzle in Games magazine or battling the Sunday New York Times crossword puzzle.
Greg was also a devoted member of the Lion's Club, where he made friendships that lasted a lifetime and worked diligently to help the community. He spent countless mornings in the snow unloading trees for the annual Lion's Christmas Tree Sale and trudging through the mud to collect targets for the annual Turkey Shoot. He loved every second of it, and cherished the members of the club as if they were a second family.
Ultimately, what was most important to Greg was caring for and loving his family -- especially his three grandchildren, Lucia, Tin Tin, and Nari.
Left to cherish the many memories of Greg and carry on his legacy are his wife of 53 years, Maryellen; his son, Christopher Rutledge and wife Nathinee of Philadelphia; and his daughter, Kimberly Petrino of Watertown.
Greg will be sadly missed by all who were blessed to know and love him.
A memorial service for Greg will be held on Wednesday October 28, 2020 at 4:00 p.m., at the O'Neill Funeral Home, 742 Main St Oakville CT, 06779. The family will host a walk-through visitation at the funeral home from 3:00 till 4:30 p.m. All local, state, and federal guidelines currently in effect on the day of the service will be strictly enforced.
A virtual memorial service will be held on Saturday, October 31st, at 2:00 p.m. via Zoom. For details, please email csrutledge@gmail.com .
You are kindly encouraged to leave an online condolence, words of comfort, or a personal memory with the Rutledge family on Greg's tribute page at www.oneillfuneralhome.com .
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Gregory Joseph Rutledge, please visit our flower store.
"Beloved Father, Grandfather, and Community Leader"
WATERTOWN - Gregory J. Rutledge (age 78) of Watertown passed away peacefully surrounded by the love and comfort of his family on Thursday, October 22, 2020 at Waterbury Hospital. He was the devoted husband of Maryellen (McKenna) Rutledge.
Mr. Rutledge was born on March 27, 1942 in Queens, New York City, to Gregory Thomas Rutledge and Helen McGuiness. As a child growing up in the Bronx, he loved stickball, 5-cent movies, and four-part harmony sung with friends on the corner. In his wild youth, he was known to broker peace accords as a member and Treasurer of the Bronx street gang, The Banshees.
He proudly served his country in the United States Air Force where he was stationed at Dover Air Force Base. People who served with him said "it was impossible not to like the guy." He spent his time in the Air Force as a mechanic, climbing out onto the wings of planes to fix them while they were still flying.
Throughout his life, he found escape in books -- whether it was the Tarzan books he discovered as a kid or the James Patterson books he devoured as an adult. He was a fiercely intelligent man who relentlessly pursued his education, earning top honors as a student at Post University, where he earned his Associates Degree (magna cum laude). He consistently challenged himself intellectually, always working out a puzzle in Games magazine or battling the Sunday New York Times crossword puzzle.
Greg was also a devoted member of the Lion's Club, where he made friendships that lasted a lifetime and worked diligently to help the community. He spent countless mornings in the snow unloading trees for the annual Lion's Christmas Tree Sale and trudging through the mud to collect targets for the annual Turkey Shoot. He loved every second of it, and cherished the members of the club as if they were a second family.
Ultimately, what was most important to Greg was caring for and loving his family -- especially his three grandchildren, Lucia, Tin Tin, and Nari.
Left to cherish the many memories of Greg and carry on his legacy are his wife of 53 years, Maryellen; his son, Christopher Rutledge and wife Nathinee of Philadelphia; and his daughter, Kimberly Petrino of Watertown.
Greg will be sadly missed by all who were blessed to know and love him.
A memorial service for Greg will be held on Wednesday October 28, 2020 at 4:00 p.m., at the O'Neill Funeral Home, 742 Main St Oakville CT, 06779. The family will host a walk-through visitation at the funeral home from 3:00 till 4:30 p.m. All local, state, and federal guidelines currently in effect on the day of the service will be strictly enforced.
A virtual memorial service will be held on Saturday, October 31st, at 2:00 p.m. via Zoom. For details, please email csrutledge@gmail.com .
You are kindly encouraged to leave an online condolence, words of comfort, or a personal memory with the Rutledge family on Greg's tribute page at www.oneillfuneralhome.com .
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