Cindy Cottone

Cindy Cottone, 57, beloved wife, mother and friend to anyone in need, passed away peacefully in her sleep Thursday, April 19, 2012. at her home in Springdale. She was born Feb. 20, 1955, in Brooklyn, N.Y., the youngest daughter of the late Fred and Mickey Cottone. Cindy enlisted in the Army at age 19 after graduating high school. Discharged in 1978, she then earned her bachelor's degree at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in 1982. After graduation, Cindy was commissioned back into the Army through ROTC. She served multiple assignments as a military police officer at Fort Hood, Texas, the Republic of Korea and completed her last active duty assignment with CID (Criminal Investigation Division) at the Presidio of San Francisco. In 1986, Cindy met her future husband, Rob, during an Army physical fitness test given at a training course in Alabama. During a subsequent transfer, they made a stop in Reno, Nev., where they married on July 10. Cindy ended her military service by retiring as a Reservist holding the rank of major. The family moved to Fayetteville in 1993. Cindy achieved a life-long dream of becoming a social worker when she earned her master's degree in social work from the University of Arkansas in 1996. As a social worker, Cindy pursued her passion of making the world a safer place for children with a variety of agencies. For a time, she worked as an adjunct professor at the University of Arkansas, doing her best to pass that passion on to others. At the time of her death, Cindy was recovering from surgery and was looking forward to going back into the social work field, her passion to help other undiminished. She is survived by her husband, Rob Rudolph; two sons, Kyle Rudolph, a graduating senior at Louisiana Tech University, Chris Rudolph, a senior at Southern Utah University; two sisters, Stephanie Burster of Port Saint Lucie, Fla., Stacey Winters of Norwalk, Conn.; two brothers, Carl Cottone of Columbus, Ohio, and William Cottone of Delray Beach, Fla. A Mass of Christian Burial will be 12:30 p.m. Monday, April 30, at St. Raphael Catholic Church in Springdale. Interment of her cremated remains will follow at Fayetteville National Cemetery with military honors. Arrangements are with Heritage Funeral Home in Springdale. Friends may express condolences to the family at the church prior to the 12:30 mass, or by stopping by a reception at the Mitchell House, 520 N. Washington, in Fayetteville between 4 and 7 Monday evening. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to either of Cindy's preferred charities, Christ the King Catholic Church for the Honduras Mission, 4000 N. Rodney Parham Rd., Little Rock, AR 72212, or the Disabled American Veterans, P.O. Box 1620, North Little Rock, AR 72115.