John Lawrence Rush

John Lawrence Rush, age 88, of Pine Bluff, passed away Saturday July 15, 2023. Born November 9, 1934 at Cassville, Mo., he was a son of the late Richard Elvin Rush and Grace Lawrence Rush. He was raised in Harrison, Ark. and graduated from Harrison High School. He then attended the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, where he was a member of Kappa Sigma Fraternity. After graduation, John moved to Little Rock to work as a trust officer for First National Bank of Little Rock and attended the University of Arkansas Law School. He served in the United States Army for six months and the Arkansas Army and Air National Guard for five and a half years. He was honorably discharged in 1963. In 1967, he and his family moved to Pine Bluff to join the Simmons First National Bank. He served as president of the Simmons First National Trust Company for over 30 years until his retirement in December, 1999. He would continue as Secretary of the Simmons First National Corporation until 2012. John was a longtime active member of First Methodist Church of Pine Bluff where he served as chairman of the finance committee. He was also a proud member of the Arkansas and Jefferson County Bar Associations. His community service included, among other things, the Rotary Club of Pine Bluff, the Jefferson County Port Authority, the Arts and Science Center for Southeast Arkansas Endowment Fund, Trinity Village Retirement Community, the Arkansas Bankers Association, and Arkansas Children's Hospital. Survivors include his wife, Midge Brown Rush, whom he married on December 23, 1960 at Little Rock; his children, Laura Brown (Richard) of Pine Bluff, Larry Rush (Kelly), and Lee Rush (Kim) all of Little Rock; two grandchildren, Justin Brown (Shelby) of Little Rock and Lauren Grace Brown of Benton; and a brother, Charles R. Rush (Ellen) of Harrison, AR. There will be a private family service with interment in Roselawn Cemetery at Little Rock. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to First Methodist Church, 200 West Sixth Avenue, Pine Bluff, Ark. 71601; Trinity Village Retirement Community, 6400 Trinity Drive, Pine Bluff, Ark. 71603; or the Simmons First National Bank Foundation, 501 S. Main Street, Pine Bluff, Ark. 71601. For online condolences, please visit RalphRobinsonandSon.com