John Rutgers

John Adrian Rutgers died due to complications from mesothelioma on October 18, 2019, in Burlingame, CA at the age of 84. He is survived by his wife, Mary, children, Gerritt, Dave, and Beth, and his grandchildren, Natalie, Jackie, Joseph, and Cameron.

John was born November 18, 1934, in Evanston, IL, to Gerritt and Frances Rutgers. After graduating from Lake Forest High School, he went to Princeton University on an NROTC scholarship. He graduated from Princeton in 1956 with a BS in civil engineering. For the next four years, John served active duty in the Navy on destroyers, which introduced him to his love of traveling the world.

In 1960, John was hired by Bechtel as a civil engineer. A year later, he married the girl next door, Mary Leffler, whom he loved and shared happy memories with for the next 57 years.

During John’s 40 years at Bechtel, he poured his heart into his profession. He and Mary were afforded the opportunity to continue traveling with Bechtel, living in many places in the US, as well as in England, Singapore, and Hong Kong. Aside from being an accomplished engineer, John loved skiing with his family and further traveling the world. He was an intelligent and witty individual who served on the Peninsula Hospital Foundation, was active in the Princeton Alumni Schools Committee, and was a dedicated member of First Presbyterian Church of Burlingame (Burlpres). John was deeply loved and will be missed.

A memorial service is scheduled for November 30 at 1:00 at Burlpres, 1500 Easton Dr., Burlingame, CA. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Burlpres.