George Rinaudo

George Rinaudo, 79, beloved husband of Virginia (Smith) Rinaudo, passed away September 24, 2025, at his home at Burcham Hills, East Lansing, Michigan, formerly of North Stonington, Connecticut. George was born In Detroit, Michigan to Catherine Rinold (Schultz) and Louis Rinold.

He married his true love, Virginia (Ginny) Smith on July 2, 1983, in a small church in the small Town of Voluntown, Connecticut. Graduate of Royal Oak Dondero High School, class of 1964. George used the GI Bill to continue his education at Lawrence Institute of Technology, and University of Michigan, Dearborn, graduating with distinction in December 1974, with a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.

George joined the US Navy Reserves and was ordered to active duty in Vietnam. He served as a Machinery Repairman on the USS Gunston Hall (LSD 5).

One of George’s proudest accomplishments was designing and building their home on their ten acres of land in North Stonington and would list that achievement on his resume to show that he was a “hands on” engineer, and good at seeing a project through from design to completion. Ginny and George lived in their home in the country for 40 years until their move to East Lansing in 2021 to be closer to family.

He began his career by working on submarine design for General Dynamics, Electric Boat Division in Groton, Connecticut. After about three years he moved into a different field of commercial printing press design, working for Harris Heidelberg and M.A.N. Roland, developing a reputation as a talented design engineer. He has two patents from that time period, and another solely in his name when he worked for Gunther International designing high speed mailing machines. He loved to design, and then follow through the manufacture of the presses, problem solving as necessary.

George was a friendly guy, with a smile for everyone, and a goofy wit. His hobbies were woodworking; restoring his 1936 Plymouth coupe that he found in a North Stonington barn, gardening, and never-ending projects around the property. He also worked on genealogy for both his ancestry, and Ginny’s. He and Ginny would tent camp and hike in the Northeast. When there were big snowstorms, they would x-country ski out their door down miles of old logging roads through the State Forest adjoining their property. He loved to play bocce ball and had a set that was handed down from his Dad, who was an Italian immigrant. His Dad came to the U.S. in 1907, where he lived with his sister in Sandy Hook, Connecticut. George was very proud of his Italian heritage, and before he and Ginny married, he changed his last name back to the original Rinaudo, his father’s surname.

He volunteered for Special Olympics and therapeutic riding stables.

In addition to his spouse, he is survived by cousins, John Miller (Janet), Evelyn (Cookie) Moore (Robert); nephew, Scott Schumaker (Debbie Haslett); niece Michelle Pilgrim (Robert) and several great nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents, and his only sister, Mary, who died in 2001, at the age of 62.

The funeral service will be held on October 11, 2025, at 12:00 pm Gorsline Runciman Funeral Homes, located at 1730 East Grand River Ave, East Lansing, MI, 48823. The family will receive friends from 11:00 am until the time of service.

Memorial contributions may be made to South Oakland Family YMCA, 1016 W. 11 Mile Rd., Royal Oak, MI 48067 or the Burcham Hills Foundation, 2700 Burcham Dr., East Lansing, MI in memory of George Rinaudo.