Mary Louise Rutherford

Born on September 12, 1952, at home in Wilton, Alabama, Marylou was the daughter of the late Louise Hamrick Reeder and Daniel Jessie Reeder. She graduated from Montevallo High School, where she served as a majorette, and later from the University of Montevallo, where she met her beloved husband, Kerry Rutherford. They shared many happy years together until Kerry’s passing on March 1, 2024. The couple had no children.

Marylou earned her MBA from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and became a Certified Public Accountant. She had a successful career as an accountant and taught for a time at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She lived nearly her entire life in Helena and was known for her kind heart and strong will. She found great joy in travelling the world, listening to music, dancing, reading, her professional relationships, and easter egg hunts with her family.

She is survived by her sister, Wilda Gail Moore; nephews Samuel Mark McGaughy and Charles Adam Moore; niece Laura McGaughy Mims; and many other cherished family members and friends.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at 4:30 p.m. at Southern Heritage Funeral Home, 475 Cahaba Valley Road, Pelham, AL 35124. Doors will open at 3:30 p.m. for fellowship and visitation.