Mr. Peter M. Rudolph

Peter “Pete” Rudolph, 86, passed away on Tuesday, September 27, 2016. He was a resident of Arbor Terrace at Crabapple, Alpharetta, Georgia, where he lived since 2011. He was born April 22, 1930, to F.H. “Frank” and Dorothy (Roe) Rudolph of Gurdon, Arkansas. On March 22, 1953, Pete married Charles Sue Sparks in the Shiloh Community near Arkadelphia, Arkansas. He and Sue enjoyed a marriage lasting 57 years. She preceded him in death on December 20, 2010, as did his sister, Mary Elizabeth, on February 14, 1952. Survivors include four sons: Charles Franklin and James Patrick of Atlanta, GA, David Ross of Big Sandy, TX, and Thomas Michael of Tulsa, OK; grandchildren Jesse, Alex, Michael, and Avery; great grandchildren Aiden and Georgia; and nieces Teresa Ziegler, Melanie Simmonds, and J.B. Foster. Pete attended the University of Arkansas and the University of the South at Sewanee, and received a Bachelor of Law degree from LaSalle University in 1970. After leaving Sewanee, he served with the Louisiana Air National Guard during the Korean War, the story being that he shed over 20 pounds to become a pilot, only to find out that he was color blind. Thereafter he spent a year on a frozen rock in the Sea of Japan as a radar operator, and finished his duty in New Mexico. What followed was a courtship of Sue, then a nurse at Charity Hospital in New Orleans. After marriage, the couple settled in Gurdon, where Pete assumed co-ownership of Rudolph’s Hardware Store in 1955. After selling Rudolph’s Hardware Store in 1974, Pete became a developer of property in Gurdon, building houses and bringing the first supermarket, a Piggly Wiggly, to the town in the late 1970s. He played a leadership role in attracting industry and promoting business opportunities whenever and wherever he could. He served as President of the Clark County Bank of Gurdon, and in 1982 was elected Mayor, serving a four-year term. In 1969 Pete was elected to represent Clark County as a delegate to the 1970 Arkansas Constitutional Convention. He also served several terms on the board of the Gurdon Public School System. Pete and Sue moved to Arkadelphia in 1983, where Pete pursued more development projects. They later lived in Springdale, Arkansas, before moving to the metro Atlanta area in 2009. Pete was a “people person” through and through, and an eternal optimist. He was quick with insights and observations, hesitant with criticisms, and he was never quick to judge. His cousin, Leighton Rudolph, nicknamed him “Pollyanna Pete” and liked to say that if his house were burning down around him, Pete would report that all was indeed well. His favorite sayings were Mark Twain’s “Never let the truth get in the way of a good story”, and his own “That ain’t no hill for a stepper!” His fellow residents of the Arbor Terrace community, who hailed from all over the US, recently voted Pete “Most Friendly” (he was runner-up for “Most Handsome”) and this was no surprise to anyone. A graveside service to celebrate Pete’s life will take place at 11a.m. on Saturday, October 22, at Rose Hedge Cemetery in Gurdon, Arkansas. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Heifer International, a favorite charity of Pete and Sue’s, to help end poverty and hunger worldwide.

Mr. Peter M. Rudolph

April 22, 1930 - September 27, 2016