The grandchildren of the late Clark Rutledge, and his dog "Sam". Back Row: (Left to Right): Gil Hutchinson - President, Citizens for Brentwood Green Space, Bert Bosse, Chairman - Brentwood Library Board of Trustees and Susan Earl, City of Brentwood Lib

Brentwood Home Page news reports
A memorial tree and plaque in honor of the late Orrin Clark Rutledge, Jr. were dedicated last week by the Citizens for Brentwood Green Space.

Known by friends and family as Clark Rutledge, the longtime Brentwood resident died on April 2, 2010 at the age 72.

“We are deeply honored to be able to help the friends and family of Clark Rutledge honor his memory like this,” Citizens for Brentwood Green Space president Gil Hutchinson said.  “We understand that Clark loved to take walks through the open spaces in and around Brentwood, accompanied by his dog Sam.  The beautiful space around the Brentwood library was one of his favorite places.”

The organization planted a Northern Red Oak that near the library. It is native to Schenectady, N.Y. where he was born, as well as Brentwood, Hutchinson noted. “Having a tree honored in his memory during the week of the City’s Arbor Day festivities makes the tribute even more special.”

Private donations from friends and the Rutledge estate were collected in his memory.  The non-profit organization coordinated with the city’s parks department and the Brentwood Library Foundation for the tree’s planting and placement of the memorial plaque.

An electrical engineer, Rutledge, was a 1959 Yale University graduate who earned his MBA from Uniion College. He worked for General Electric for 22 years, including three years at a radio manufacturing facility in Hong Kong.  He moved with his family to Brentwood in 1984. Locally he worked at Northern Telecom, Murray-Ohio and Southwestern Publishing before retiring. 

The Citizens for Brentwood Green Space, Inc. is a nonprofit citizens group created to preserve open space in the form of parks, trails, historic sites, and flood plains while being sensitive to the rights of landowners and developers.