SLINGERLANDS - Michael Andrew Rutherford, 68, died peacefully at home on December 30, 2014. His friends and family will remember him as a loyal father, teaching artist, and poet. As a young artist, Mike flew his own hot air balloon, taught at-risk teens film-making, and spear-headed Dial-A-Poem in Albany; callers could hear a new recorded poem being read each day to them. He is a graduate of SUNY Albany with a BA in English and a Masters in Library Science. Mike later directed Alternative Literary Programs (ALPS) for over 25 years, bringing talented writers into local schools to engage kids in their own creative processes. He also published countless stories and poems, including his 1973 poetry collection Meat is My Business, his 1986 fantasy novella The Tale and Its Master, and the 1990 follow-up of Infinite Kingdoms. He is predeceased by his father Alec Rutherford, survived by his mother Eugenia, his daughter Eve, his long-time partner Janet Mattox, his sisters Eugenia and Monica (Stephen), brothers Thaddeus (Kathy), Sandy (Ann), William (Michele), and his many loving nieces and nephews. Services will take place from 1-4PM this Sunday, January 4th at Parker Bros. Memorial Funeral Home at 2013 Broadway in Watervliet. Friends are invited to attend. Donations may be made in Michael's name to the Voorheesville Public Library.