Richard Dunn

DUNN, Richard Mason, 86, of Bristol, NH, passed away on October 25, 2023, after a fall.  Richard was known to some as “Ricky” and to others as “Dick.”  He was the beloved husband of Anne (Reynolds) Dunn, whom he married in 1963.  Richard was born on December 7, 1936, son of the late Alice (Walker) Dunn and Mason Lovejoy Dunn.  He had one sister, Barbara Nell (Dunn) Payson, of North Attleboro, MA. 

Richard enjoyed the adventure of traveling for work, but happily spent all of his home life in New England:  primarily, in Cumberland, RI; Wrentham, MA; and Bristol, NH.  Richard attended high school at Dean Academy (now Dean College) in Franklin, MA.  He graduated from Brown University in Providence, RI, in 1958 with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering.  He was a member of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity.  He trained with the Army National Guard, completing his required part-time service soon after college.

Richard worked for 54 years in the power industry:  for New England Power (MA); for C.E. Maguire (RI); for Stone and Webster Engineering, and then Stone and Webster Management Consultants, which later joined The Shaw Group (Boston, MA).  He traveled extensively for work both in the U.S. and overseas – even consulting for the United Nations, including work in China – and making several trips to Lithuania (shortly after they left the Soviet Union) for the U.S. Trade and Development Agency.  He delivered technical papers at professional conferences in the U.S. and abroad (including Finland, Sweden, Spain, Czech Republic, Jordan).  He was a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Richard was independent and athletic, sharply intelligent and always curious.  He had a dry wit, and a sly sense of humor.  Family and friends knew Richard as a bit of a renaissance man, who pursued many interests beyond his professional life:  early American antiques; traditional bluegrass music and Beethoven; antique tractors, cars, and trucks; reading historical non-fiction and seed catalogs.  Richard loved hiking and was an expert downhill skier.  He was a member of the Appalachian Mountain Club for many years.  He climbed all 48 peaks of the New Hampshire White Mountains 4000 Footers list.

Richard's favorite outdoor pursuit was gardening.  He began early, helping his maternal grandfather in the garden at age 8.  Over many years, he built a gardening library, and filled file drawers with pre-internet paper references.  His expertise was broad and deep – he grew vegetables; dwarf fruit trees; berries; shade trees; flowering shrubs; bulbs; perennials.  He was generous with advice to other gardeners, and with his produce.  He routinely filled three large freezers with his harvest.  When retiring to NH, before they dug the cellar hole for the new house, he planted dwarf fruit trees.  He was planting new trees in his orchard in the last month of his life.

Richard is survived by his wife, Anne (Reynolds) Dunn, of Bristol, NH; his daughter Amy Allison Dunn of Massachusetts; and his son Brian Bradford Dunn of Florida.  Survivors also include many other much-loved family and dear friends.  In his long life, Richard was a grandson, son, brother, nephew, cousin, husband, father, grandfather, uncle, god-parent, friend – and he treasured all of you.

Richard was a member of the Arnold Mills United Methodist Church in Cumberland, RI for sixty years.  After retiring to NH, he attended the New Hampton Community Church in New Hampton, NH.  Honoring Richard's wishes, he is being cremated; ashes will be scattered privately.  Rather than a funeral, there will be a memorial service at the church in New Hampton.  There will also be a gathering in the spring in southern New England.

Arrangements: Assisting the family with arrangements is the Cremation Society of NH, Boscawen. To view Richard's Online Tribute, send condolences to the family, or for more information, visit www.csnh.com. 

Anne and Amy would like to invite you to a Memorial celebration of Dick (Rick/Richard) Dunn. Please join us to share a few memories, or perhaps bring a photo or two. We will have a simple gathering with light refreshments on: Saturday, October 26, 2024, at 1:00 p.m.at Arnold Mills United Methodist Church (in Cargill Hall), 690 Nate Whipple Highway, Cumberland, Rhode Island, 02864.

As many of you know, Dick attended Arnold Mills from childhood until he moved to New Hampshire in retirement. While he didn't want a formal ceremony, as we approach the anniversary of his death, we think he would appreciate our meeting in Cargill Hall to share our memories.

Note: We know this is a busy time of year, and we regret if this is not a good date\time for you. Also, we know this location may be too far for some, just as Dick's initial Memorial in New Hampshire was too long a drive for others. If you cannot attend, but would like to share a memory of Dick, please consider sending a note to Amy (dunnamya@gmail.com).

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Appalachian Mountain Club in Richard's memory would be appreciated, AMC, 10 City Square, Suite 2, Boston, MA 02129 or at www.outdoors.org.