William Unger Donald's Obituary
William Unger Donald, 76, of Little Rock, AR, most recently of San Diego, CA, passed away on Sept 9, 2016 in El Cajon, CA due to complications from a spinal infection. Preceded in death by his older brother, Leroy Donald, Jr. Bill is survived by his wife, Francis Bond Donald, daughter Roslyn Donald (Garin Hiebert), son William Ford Donald (Lisa), grandchildren Margaret Elizabeth Donald and Andrew Theodore Hiebert, two step-daughters and five step-grandchildren.Bill was born on December 20, 1939, in Goodman, MS, to Mahala Ford Donald and Leroy Donald, Sr. The family moved to El Dorado, AR, after World War II, and to St. Louis when Bill was a senior in high school.Bill, a member of Sigma Nu, graduated from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville in 1962 with a degree in architecture; he studied under Fay Jones, whose style influenced his early work such as the residence at 11 E. Palisades for his parents-in-law (familiarly known as “Hemmed In Hollow”) and his own homes at 47 Scenic Blvd and 31 E. Palisades Dr, an award winning design. A respected career architect, Bill joined Wittenberg, Deloney, and Davidson in 1963, where he designed many notable landmark buildings in Little Rock, including The Bank One Building, Christ the King Catholic Church and the Fine Arts Building at UALR. He moved to California in 1979 to pursue other career opportunities. As a partner in Interactive Resources of Oakland, CA, he was Project Lead on Oakland’s downtown City Center & Clorox Building professional center. In addition, he developed commercial and residential properties in Northern California, including a daring split-level, cliff-side home on Meadowsweet in Corte Madera.Bill’s career took him not only to California but also to Tampa, FL, and briefly to Russia. In 1993 he gave lectures at Moscow Institute of Architecture and worked on urban renewal of the Kuznetsky Most area of Moscow.Bill devoted his retirement years to art, even after his move to San Diego. Instructed in watercolor by Selma Blackburn, he displayed his work in sales sponsored by the Arkansas Arts Center Museum School. He also belonged to the Mid-Southern Watercolorists. Perhaps his most creative and certainly his most ambitious project was a multi-wall mural at the Arkansas Farm Bureau in West Little Rock.A celebration of his life is scheduled for 5:30 p.m., Friday, September 23, 2016 at Little Rock Racquet Club, in Little Rock, AR. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Arkansas Arts Center or to a charity of your choice.
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