Alfred R. Rutledge

Alfred R. Rutledge, age 78, of South Boston, formerly of Winthrop, passed away unexpectedly on February 10, 2026. He was the son of the late Arthur Rutledge and Gladys (Whitehead) Rutledge of Winthrop. Darling husband to Elena Rutledge. Devoted father of Jamie (Rutledge) Bornstein and her husband Matthew, Matthew Rutledge and his wife Jennifer (Donahoo) Rutledge and Olga Solomatina. He was the proud and loving Grandpa of Ryan & Jordan Bornstein, Conor & Patrick Rutledge, and Alisa Solomatina.

Al was born on June 8, 1947 in Lynn, Massachusetts and grew up near the ocean in Winthrop, Massachusetts with his 3 sisters and 1 brother: the late Connie (Rutledge) Tallent, the late Eileen (Rutledge) Bolman, Anne (Rutledge) Sullivan, and Arthur Rutledge. He graduated from Winthrop High School in 1965, attended Salem State College for his Bachelor’s degree and then Suffolk University for a Master's degree. Al enlisted in the US Army in 1969 for a 2-year tour with an honorable discharge in 1971. It was during his tour with the Army that his passion for traveling began.

He was passionate about history, traveling the world and learning well beyond his young educational years. It was his love of traveling that took him to Moscow, Russia where he met his second wife, Elena and was happily married to her for 25 years. He found his travel soulmate and the two traveled the world to many different countries as well as most of the 50 United States; visiting historical museums and grounds while learning about the history of the world. Once he retired from his auditing position with the federal government, it gave him more time to plan trips not just with his wife, but his family as well.

When he wasn’t traveling, Al enjoyed simple pleasures at home like going down to Castle Island, enjoying a roast beef sandwich from Sullivans, and watching the boats sail past and the planes fly over him. He picked up a love for art in his spare time; painting on canvas and creating scenes with sea glass collected from his walks along the beach. He enjoyed sharing his creations with his family members and friends.

Al, known as a strong yet humble man, touched the lives of many. He loved to share and give to everyone with his boyhood humor, charm and sometimes mischievous smile. The last several years were a struggle at times with various health conditions which required multiple different surgeries. A personal message to Al from his wife, sister-in-law Luba, mother-in-law, and extended family members, “You fought for your life. You didn’t give up. You fought pain every day from surgery to surgery. You were a fighter! You surrounded us with love and took all of us women under your wing. You were Al with a capital ‘AL’.”

No services are planned at this time, there will be a private celebration of life at a later date with the spreading of his ashes at sea, one of his favorite places to visit.

For more information, www.facebook.com/BarileFamilyFuneralHome