Thursday
April 18th, 2024
3:26AM
Dr. William Robert Dunn, Sr. age 92 of Cumming, Georgia, passed away Monday, March 26, 2018. He was preceded in death by his wife, Norma Kehr Dunn; son, Richard K. Dunn; daughter, Barbara Ann Dunn; sister, Elizabeth Grunwald; parents, William and Clara Dunn.
Dr. William Robert Dunn, Sr. was born in Atlanta and graduated from North Fulton High School, Davidson College, and earned his medical degree in 1947 from Emory University. He wed Norma Kehr Dunn in June 1947. They enjoyed 60 years of marriage and raising a family together.
He spent 2 years in a surgery residency at Grady Hospital in Atlanta. He then enlisted in the Navy and served in the Korean War. He returned to Grady Hospital to complete his Pediatric Residency in 1954, and attended Columbia Seminary in Decatur. He then traveled to Belgium to learn French to prepare for a tropical medicine residency. He spent 3 years as a medical missionary in the Belgian Congo, now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Three decades later in 1984, he returned to the Congo for another missionary tour.
Returning stateside, he set up a very popular family practice in Cumming, Georgia at the suggestion of Dr. Jim Mashburn. His medical practice was extremely busy and patients would often line up in his waiting room with sack lunches until he could attend to their needs.
He always put his patients first. He managed to find time to perform physicals for the Boy Scouts and high school football teams. He was also very active with the Cumming Kiwanis Club.
He also trained Physician Assistant students from Emory University. He remained active in his Emory Medical Class of ’47 reunions.
He retired from practice in 2010, but spent another 5 years volunteering his medical services at the Good News Clinic in Gainesville, Georgia. He taught an adult Sunday school class and sang in the choir at Cumming First United Methodist Church. He was also active with Meals on Wheels, and working his cattle farm in Forsyth County. He loved his family and the Georgia Bulldogs.
A humble man, he quietly joined the Mashburn family in being a major donor in a land grant that helped preserve 932 acres on Sawnee Mountain and creating the Sawnee Nature Preserve. This has become a popular outdoor destination and the largest county park in the state of Georgia. It has over 5 miles of trails and mountain vistas.
He was a man of great passion, work ethic, character, compassion, modesty, and skill.
Survivors include his children, Charlene (Terry) McGill of Cumming, Bill (Melody) Dunn of Cumming, Roger (Ruth) Dunn of Cumming; daughter-in-law, Barbara Dunn Roland of Gainesville; sister-in-law, Joanne Kehr of Iowa; niece, Betty Grunwald; nephews, Fred Grunwald, Bill Grunwald; 10 grandchildren; 5 great grandchildren.
A Celebration of Life service will be held Monday, April 2nd at 7:00 pm at Cumming First United Methodist Church with Rev. Kathie Stasko and Dr. Bob Bowling officiating followed by a Reception in the Family Life Center.
The family will receive friends at Ingram Funeral Home on Thursday, March 29th from 4:00 pm until 8:00 pm and on Friday, March 30th from 11:00 am until 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm until 8:00 pm.
Graveside services will be held on Monday, April 2nd at 11:00 am at Sawnee View Memorial Gardens.
In lieu of flowers, the family ask that donations be made to Forsyth County Senior Services/ Meals on Wheels, 595 Dahlonega Street, Cumming, GA 30040, Cumming First United Methodist Church, P O Box 606, Cumming, GA 30028 or Season’s Hospice, 8013 Majors Road, Cumming, GA 30041.
Ingram Funeral Home & Crematory, Cumming, Georgia is in charge of arrangements.
Condolences may be made at www.ingramfuneralhome.com.
