Rudolph Donno

Rudolph (Rudy) Del Donno, 90, of North Little Rock died, Friday, May 19, 2017. He was born June 30, 1926 in Peekskill, New York to Lena and Carmine Del Donno. He graduated from Peekskill High School and attended New York State Teachers at Potsdam, New York and the Arkansas (Night) Law school in Little Rock.
He was a World War II Army Veteran who volunteered in 1943. He was assigned to the IRTC (Infantry Replacement Training Center), Camp Robinson, Arkansas for basic training. Thereafter he was sent to Ft. Ord, California for further Infantry Training, going overseas as Replacement with the 33rd Infantry and 11th Airborne Division who were getting ready to re-take the Island of Leyte and Luzon in the Philippines. The invasion of both islands was by air and water.
On September 2, 1945, Japan surrendered and Rudy was sent to Kyoto in Japan to serve with the Army of Occupation. On November 25, 1945, he agreed to extend his enlistment for one year and return to the USA for re-assignment as a Parachute Instructor at Ft. Benning, Georgia and on December 26, 1946, he was honorable discharged.
For his service during World War II, Rudy received Two Bronze Star Medals, Good Conduct Medal, Philippine Liberation Medal w/2 gold stars, American Campaign and Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, WWII Victory and National Defense Service Medals. The Combat Infantryman's Badge and Paratrooper's Insignia are two that Rudy was most proud of.
Rudy came to Little Rock in January 1947 for the expressed purpose to marry the love of his life, Rose Spinelli, whom he had met while he was stationed at Camp Robinson. He got his first job in April that year, and they were on their way to the altar on May 5, 1947. Because of Good Luck and a lot of hard work, Rudy began a Real Estate Mortgage Banking career that lasted almost 40 years, before his retirement in April 1984. He started out with Jack Collier East, who taught him the fundamentals of the business; to Elbert Fausett of Fausett and Company, the largest Realtor in Arkansas at that time; to the Deming Investment Company of Oswego, Kansas, who at the time was the oldest Mortgage Banking firm west of the Mississippi River; to Chas. F. Curry and Company of Kansas City, Missouri who bought Deming in 1962; to First Mtg. Co. of Little Rock, whom Rudy bought from Wm. E. Terry and Company and made President thereof; to the Twin City Bank who hired Rudy to start a Mortgage Banker; to the 1st Pyramid Life Ins. Co. of America, where Rudy taught the Directors of the Company what Mortgage Lending was all about; and finally, after retirement in 1984, Rudy took on helping a few Savings and Loan Associations out of their troubles, that he was asked by the FSLIC to conduct a meeting with their staff in order to find out what was wrong in their way of doing business. When Rudy told them they had to get back to "Basics" they did not believe him, and some S&L's went under.
Rudy was a Senior Member of the National Association of Review Appraisers. A former member of the National Association of Realtors. Former member of the Board of Realtors of Little Rock and North Little Rock; its President in 1961; a member of the Mortgage Bankers of Arkansas and its President in 1957.
His church affiliation begins with Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in North Little Rock, where he was the Chairman of the Building Committee of the 1st new building built to replace the concrete block building the church used for many years. In addition he was a former member of I.C. Parish Council. He formally served as Chairman of the Building Commission of the Catholic Diocese of Arkansas.
His Civic Performances are as follows, former member of Housing Committee Metro-Plan, former Board Member-Treasurer of North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce and Chairman of the Housing Committee-Goals for Central Arkansas.
He was preceded in death by his wife; parents; brother, Carmen. He is survived by his daughter, Donna Marie Vosper and her husband, Roderick; and two grandchildren, Andrew and Abby Vosper.
A visitation will be held at 5:00-6:00 P.M., Monday, May 22, 2017 at Smith - North Little Rock Funeral Home followed by a rosary at 6:00 P.M. Mass of Christian burial will be at 10:00 A.M., Tuesday, May 23, 2017 at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, JFK, North Little Rock. He will be entombed at Rest Hills Memorial Park Mausoleum.
Guest Register at www.SmithFamilyCares.com .