The life of the party: North Shore businessman Graeme Rutherford remembered after dying in tragic accident 23 Jan, 2021 06:59 AM 3 minutes to read Well-known Auckland businessman Graeme Rutherford has died. Photo / Supplied Well-known North Shore businessman Graeme Rutherford has died tragically in an accident. His wife Debbie said he was a passionate family man and his son Tom called the death a "huge catastrophic loss". In a death notice Rutherford's family posted for him, in lieu of flowers people were asked to donate to one of his favourite charities, the Westpac Auckland Rescue Helicopter. The family did not want to divulge details about the accident that took the life of the Birkenhead businessman who generously supported local schools, the Birkenhead Bowling Club and the rescue helicopter.