Donald Vance Green, Sr.

Donald Vance Green, Sr. passed from this life to be whole with his Savior on November 21, 2025.

He was born January 3, 1941, in Star City, AR to Vance O. Green and Merle Saint Green. He spent most of his childhood growing up in Pine Bluff, AR with his older sister Ann Carolyn (Vanderpool) and younger sister Kay (Sturdivant). After a typically non-honors day at school, he helped his parents in their grocery store delivering orders to homes by bicycle and the frequent underage operation of his dad’s pickup truck. He was an Amazon Prime delivery driver before there was Amazon Prime.

Dad developed a love of horses (and horse-trading) from his father and grandfather, as well as a love for the rodeo. His rodeo career began on a whim when a friend needed a ride to a bull riding competition. The friend asked if he wanted to try it and Dad said, “Why not?” So, from then throughout his young adulthood, he traveled Arkansas and surrounding states to compete in rodeos as a bull rider. He also joined the rodeo team at Arkansas A&M University in Monticello. At Arkansas A&M, he earned a degree in Business Administration and was a member of Phi Lamda Chi Fraternity.

After graduation, Dad enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in October 1963, where he entered the, still early, field of data processing. His commanding officer soon ended his rodeo career in the best interests of the defense of the United States of America. He learned how to operate and program the very large size mainframe computers of the 1960s. He was a coder before coders were cool. He served at several stateside bases and in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War.

While stationed at Tyndall AFB, Dad went on a blind date with Tonja Cobb from Mobile, AL. Being a man who knew how to act quickly when a good opportunity came along, he proposed after three dates in three days, and they married just days later on December 20, 1965. In that first year of marriage, their relationship grew through letters between Mobile and Southeast Asia.

After fulfilling his commitment to the Air Force in October 1967, he and Tonja moved to Dumas, AR where he worked in accounting and managed the data processing center for United Dollar Stores. It was in Dumas that they welcomed their three sons, Don Jr., Randall, and Brian Scott. This new phase of life as a young husband and father suited him well and his earlier bull riding experience was very useful in raising three rowdy boys.

In 1976, the family moved to Pine Bluff when he went to work for UARCO then Simmons First National Bank as the data processing center manager. He was later promoted to Senior Vice President of Real Estate at Simmons, where he worked until 1986. At that time, he and Tonja bought a furniture store and Pine Bluff Pool and Spa in Pine Bluff and ran those until he was hired to manage a corporate furniture store in 1996 in West Monroe, LA. In 2002, they moved to Sherwood, AR where he worked for a company that did contract work for Mitchell Williams Law Firm in Little Rock. He retired in 2017.

He was not just a father; he was a dad. He was patient, instructive, stern when we deserved it (although maybe not enough), fun, and always there when and where we needed him. It was important to him that his boys grew up in the Christian Faith and made sure we were at church (most) Sundays. He instilled a love of the beautiful Arkansas outdoors taking his boys hunting and fishing from four years old through adulthood. However, it was fortunate that he was better at his career to feed his family than relying on hunting and fishing because he wasn’t so good at killing and catching.

He was a devoted and loving husband to Tonja. Their marriage of over 48 years centered and forged their family and created the most important type of generational wealth – a loving home and example for their sons, daughters-in-law, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Donald V. Green, Sr. was preceded in death by his wife of 48 years, Tonja Cobb Green, his sister, Ann Carolyn Vanderpool, and his parents Vance and Merle. He is survived by his sister Kay Sturdivant, and his three sons and their families: Don Jr and wife Beth, Randy and wife Dawn, Brian and wife Sheri. His grandchildren: Stephen, Katie, Chase, Ava, Sydney, and Logan. His great grandchildren: Hallie, River, and Sutton. Nothing made him happier in these last years than seeing and hearing about his grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Dad will be missed; we will strive to live up to his example and make him proud.

Donations in Memoriam may be made to a beneficiary of choice.

Visitation will be at Smith Funeral Home, 1921 Main Street, North Little from 10:00-11:30 AM, on Tuesday, December 9, 2025. A Graveside service will follow at 12:00 PM at the Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery, North Little Rock

Arrangements will be announced by Smith North Little Rock Funeral Home, 1921 Main St., North Little Rock, AR 72114. 501-758-1170.