Derine Agnes Albrich was born to Carl and Elizabeth Rutherford on July 1, 1935, in Silverton’s Keene Home serving as the community hospital located on North Water Street. Growing up, Derine lived on Fiske Street with her parents and siblings. She graduated from Silverton High School in 1953. After graduation, she worked for Moore Business Forms in Salem, Oregon.
Derine met Robert, the love of her life, in 1958 after being introduced at Salem Golf Club. Robert and Derine married on May 16, 1959, at Saint Joseph’s Catholic Church in Salem. Derine and Robert raised their four beautiful children in the Fairmont Hills area of Salem, Oregon. She was an amazing homemaker who loved to sew and bake. Everyone, including her children’s friends, neighborhood kids, or her son’s football teammates always felt welcomed for a meal.
Christmas was her favorite holiday season, and her family was always blessed with homemade baked goods, handsewn stockings, and ornaments. Derine also found time to volunteer with her children’s schools as their room mother and became the scorekeeper for her children’s sporting events. Derine was also very active on the local election board. After their children were raised, Derine and Bob moved back to her hometown of Silverton and lived in their beautiful home on Abiqua Creek. Derine found so much pleasure in watching the changing seasons, beautiful wildlife, and grazing cattle among the many oak trees on their property. She greatly valued reconnecting with her high school friends and absolutely loved acting as the lead coordinator of the 1953 Silverton reunion committee.
Derine and Bob loved to travel. Many times, their adventures took them to Hawaii where they always enjoyed a mai tai watching the brilliant sunsets. They also explored Alaska, British Columbia, and Quebec. Her most memorable trip was a river cruise visiting New Orleans, Mississippi, and Tennessee. This cruise included many jazz musicians including the Ink Spots and Dave Brubeck; she never missed a show on the cruise. As a teenager, Derine even met one of her favorite jazz singers, Ella Fitzgerald, and she shared this experience over and over! Despite these amazing adventures, her very favorite moments were the quiet road trips with her husband through California, eastern Oregon, along the Oregon coast, and throughout the Silverton hills.
On Feb. 24, 2023, our loving wife, mother, and grandmother, passed away peacefully with family by her side. It was a beautiful sunny day. Derine bravely battled dementia for many years and though her vivid memories began to fade, she always remembered her family and friends. Her family will greatly miss her amazing hugs, her talent for storytelling, and her impeccable sense of style with perfectly coordinated outfits and jewelry.
Derine is preceded in death by her parents, Carl and Elizabeth Rutherford; sister, Alma Barr; brothers, Ted, Wayne and Carl. Derine is survived by her loving husband, Robert Sr.; children, Lisa (Mike) Adams, Amy Albrich, Robert Jr. (Laurie) Albrich, and Anthony (Venus) Albrich; grandchildren, Jacob and Samuel Anderson, Jordan, Brenna and James Albrich, and Marius Albrich; sister, Marlene Fullwiler; and many nieces and nephews who loved her.
A private family gathering will be held and Derine will be laid to rest at Willamette National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please make donations in Derine’s name to Silverton Area Community Aid. Arrangements by Unger Funeral Chapel – Silverton.
