On September 7, 2023, at 8:15 a.m., Lewis H. Rutland, aka Pop went to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Lewis’s life was all about his family, food, friends, and Gaffney Indian football. He was born in Gaffney, SC on September 15, 1945, to Louis F. and Annie Messer Rutland. He was the baby of the three children they had. First born, Catherine Rutland Day, who currently resides in Teague, TX, and his brother, Warren “Lester” Rutland, who died a war hero during the Vietnam War. He graduated from Gaffney High School Class of 64 alongside many of his childhood friends who grew up with him in the well-known “Mill Village”.

Lewis went on to enlist in the U.S. Navy in 1964-1968 and spent much of his enlisted time in Orange County, California, which is how he first met his wife, Dianna R. Rutland, and her daughter from a previous marriage, Shelley Castro. Lewis and Dianna were married in Los Angeles and began their new life as a family. Soon after, they gave birth to, Dawna Starr Rutland.

Shortly after Dawna’s birth, Lewis and Dianna decided to make a life back home, in Gaffney, SC. They moved in 1973 and began to build a home in the Grassy Pond area where they raised their family, while both working full-time and going to Spartanburg Tech/Community College. Lewis was a natural leader and all of his career left clues as he quickly moved up to lead manager in many local areas, such as Western Auto, and Connor Mobile Homes, before deciding to become an entrepreneur. The two of them both realized they had spent so much time away from their children and took a leap of faith to build what he was well known for locally, Rutland Mobile Home Services.

While in the Navy, Lewis caught the “travel bug” and he and his wife, Dianna became quiet travelers. They immediately took Shelley and Dawna all around the great country. In fact, some of their first memories were started in Yosemite and led them right here to Kings Mountain with all other states covered annually. His love for camping, RV’ing, and making a history lesson out of every national park they stopped at was engrained into the family, which is very clear to see through Dawna and her husband Tim. The only thing he loved more, was enjoying his food stops along the way. Well known for being the food critic of the 70’s-80’s, literally planning most of his travels based on great restaurants.

His love will live on through his “Precious” wife, Dianna, his sister Catherine, and her husband Charles Day, and their children.

His legacy will be carried on by his children: Shelley Castro and Dennis Thornton, and their children, Lucca, Grayson, and Scarlet Thornton as well as her eldest son, Adrian Horne; Dawna Rutland Avery and her husband Tim Avery and their daughter, Sophia Sedlacek.

A celebration of life will be held on Wednesday, September 13, 2023, at 2 p.m. at Gordon's Funeral Home, 211 E. Fredrick St, Gaffney, SC. In lieu of flowers, gifts to honor Free Chapel Spartanburg can be made at freechapel.org/spartanburg.&n…

John 11: 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

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