The Foreign Service Journal, November 2021

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2021 97 Mr. Rutherford was born in West Vir- ginia in 1941 to Chester Rutherford and Edna Harvey. He joined the U.S. Army and served with distinction. During his service, he earned the Bronze Star, Purple Heart and numerous other medals. He served in Japan, Vietnam and Texas, and later with the Defense Attaché Office in Afghanistan and Belgium. Master Ser- geant Rutherford completed his military career in Albuquerque at Kirtland AFB Nuclear Weapons Complex. After retirement from the U.S. military, Mr. Rutherford served in a variety of support roles at embassies in Africa and Mexico while posted with his wife. Mr. Rutherford loved NewMexico where he was raised, and often referred to it as “God’s country.” He enjoyed South- western cuisine, science fiction novels and films, and had a passion for UFOs. He was fond of animals, especially his dogs, and was concerned about the needs of others. Described as warm, friendly and compassionate, he enjoyed good company, lively conversation and a good margarita with friends. Mr. Rutherford is survived by his wife, Sharon Lavorel-Rutherford; daughter Robin Rutherford; son Ric (Kriston) Rutherford; stepsons Michael (Jennifer) Lavorel and Daniel Lavorel; grandchildren Morgan Byrd, Jack and Nicolas Lavorel; and his sister, Vicki (Paul) Christensen. n Roger J. Simmons , 81, a retired Foreign Service officer with USAID, passed away on Aug. 18 of complications associated with dementia. Mr. Simmons was born in Boston and grew up in the suburb of Malden. He grad- uated fromTufts University, having spent a few gap years working on farms and rural resettlement in Kenya, and the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh. Over the course of his life, he devel- oped and pursued deep commitments to racial equality and international development. He worked with USAID, both as a contractor (addressing issues of public administration in Nigeria, Liberia, Tanzania and Swaziland) and as a Foreign Service officer (as program officer in Mali and as deputy mission director in Kenya and Russia, as well as tours in Washing- ton). His wife, Emmy Simmons, also served as a Foreign Service officer, and they served as a tandem couple in Mali (the Sahel Development Planning Team), Kenya (the Regional Office for East and Central Africa) and Russia. Mr. Simmons retired fromUSAID in 2000, although he continued to partici- pate in training new staff until 2004. Ms. Simmons retired fromUSAID in 2005. In December 2020, the couple moved into the Vinson Hall Retirement Community in McLean, less than two miles away from their first house (purchased in 1978) in the Chesterbrook Woods community. n Virginia Stave , 100, wife of the late retired Foreign Service Officer Tom Stave, died on June 26. Born in Seattle on April 2, 1921, she lived her early years in Laurelhurst and West Seattle, and spent summers on Bainbridge Island where she was hired as the first usherette at the Lynwood The- atre. Her high school years were at both Roosevelt and West Seattle; she attended the University of Washington, where she met her husband, Tom Stave. Together with Mr. Stave, she felt privileged to have served 30 years in the diplomatic service. Soon after the end of World War II, the couple was sent to Germany. While there, Ms. Stave heard one German citizen declare, “I hate all Englishmen except the ones I know.” This influenced her to believe that the only way to achieve peace in the world is by getting to know other cultures and people. As she put it, “It is very difficult to hate someone you know.” Ms. Stave remained true to her philos- ophy at posts in Germany, France, Iran, Japan, Thailand and Korea. Each time the Staves were transferred to another coun- try, she maintained a positive attitude, which she imparted to her five children. As a diplomat’s spouse, she often escorted and entertained Mr. Stave’s professional visitors and made the most of each new adventure. In Marseille she cooked with chef Julia Child. In Iran she participated in archaeological digs and skied in the Elburz Mountains. In Japan she was inspired by Ikebana masters, and continued to study flower arranging in Thailand and Korea. For the rest of her life, she was known for her exquisite arrangements at her church and retire- ment center. The Staves retired to Bainbridge Island where she joined the Garden Club, the Camera Club, the Bloedel Reserve and the Kubota Garden in Seattle. Every year during tax season, she led a team of volunteers at Helpline House, as she preferred figures to crossword puzzles. Hobbies included photography, kayaking and snorkeling. When she moved to her retirement home, she surrounded herself with her treasures acquired overseas. She is remembered by family and friends for her love and her stories. Ms. Stave was preceded in death by her sister, brother and husband. She is survived by her children: Lorraine, Alan, Peggy, Tom and Juanita, and their respective spouses, Pat, Michela, Chrissy and Gilbert; grandchildren Reid, Allison, Perry, Christopher, Kenji and Rikio; step-granddaughter Beth; great-grand-