Archie Rutherford biography: 13 things about Spokane, Washington businessman

Who was Archie Rutherford?

Archie Rutherford was an American businessman and theater director from Spokane, Washington, United States. He and his wife Eleanor Cornelius Rutherford have one son together.

Archie was active in the Spokane Civic Theatre where he directed several plays. Here are 13 more things about him:

1. He was born in Montana, USA to Lloyd W. Rutherford and Katherine Rutherford.
2. His mother was also born in Montana while his was born in Oklahoma, USA.
3. He grew up in Spokane and worked as a night clerk at the Trade Winds Motor Hotel in Spokane.
4. He and family members owned drive-in restaurants called Rutherford’s Triple XXX.
5. He and Eleanor lived in South Hill, Spokane.
6. He was 6 years younger than Eleanor.
7. He was born in 1924.
8. In 1946, Eleanor gave birth to their son Stanley L. Rutherford.
9. He and Betty Tomlinson were featured in “The World Of Carl Sandburg“, a stage presentation of selections from the poetry and prose of Carl Sandburg, who died in Flat, North Carolina, USA on July 22, 1967.
10. In 1969, his father died at the age of 79.
11. On May 22, 1982, Eleanor went on a trip while he stayed in South Hill.
12. Since May 23, 1982, Eleanor had not heard from him.
13. On May 25, 1982, he was supposed to meet Eleanor at the airport. She became worried when he died not show up. At 4:40 p.m., she arrived home in South Hill and found him dead. He was fatally stabbed allegedly by Tracy Sabron Pruitt, then 22.

On October 27, 2022, Pruitt was arrested in Los Angeles, California for Archie’s murder. On May 30, 2023, Spokane County spokesperson Jessica Hines announced Pruitt’s death.

While in the Spokane County Jail in Spokane, Pruitt died of bilateral pulmonary thromboemboli due to right lower extremity deep vein thrombosis. He was 63.