Paul Joseph Gerard Dunn

Paul Joseph Gerard Dunn, 64, passed away unexpectedly on April 18, 2023. Although his passing leaves an unfillable void for his beloved family, Paul left them with a lifetime of happy memories that they will forever cherish. Born in 1958 in Providence, Paul was the youngest son of the late Donald John and Mary Frances (Keefe) Dunn. He graduated from Mount Pleasant High School, where he was a star center on the ice hockey team. Although Paul was stubbornly humble about his own accomplishments, his sons were later able to piece together through other sources that their dad could skate like the wind and pass the puck with the best of them. In addition to his lifelong love of hockey, Paul was an avid outdoorsman. He could often be found skating on the pond in the winter months, and, when the ice melted, gliding smoothly across the water in a rowboat or canoe. Paul was at peace in nature. He also found great joy riding motorcycles, especially enduro motorcycles, which he raced throughout the woods of the Northeast. Paul found his occupational calling by staying close to nature. For close to 40 years, Paul loved being a land surveyor. As he would often say, “A day in the field beats a day in the office.” Through sizzling heat waves, pouring rain, bone-chilling cold, and countless tick bites and bee stings, Paul happily traversed the woods of Southern New England. When one of the ever-changing fleet of Dunn family cars made its way virtually anywhere, Paul would often cheerfully say “Surveyed it!” as he drove his family past one of the hundreds of properties that he had surveyed. As strong as they were, Paul’s passions for hockey and the outdoors could not compare to his unending love for his family: Paul’s single greatest joy in this world. In May 1985, he met the love of his life, Barbara Ann (Murphy) Dunn, at a tennis party at Rally Point Racquet Club in Greenville, Rhode Island. It was truly love at first sight, Paul would often tell his sons years later. Paul and Barbara enjoyed simply being in each other’s company, most especially when they were close by to the ocean. They were married in 1986, had their wedding reception at the Dutch Inn in Narragansett, and made frequent pilgrimages back to the ocean during their more than 36 years together as husband and wife. Paul and Barbara’s love and devotion to each other was overwhelming and unwavering. They set a perfect example for their sons of what a loving, committed partnership should look like. Paul’s selfless commitment to family extended to his three sons: Joshua, Matthew, and Tyler. Paul and Barbara worked extremely hard and made great personal sacrifices so that their sons could enjoy a happy childhood. And enjoy it they did. All three sons inherited Paul’s passion for ice hockey, and Paul and Barbara happily shuttled their boys, year-round, to cold ice rinks throughout the state. If any of the boys had a hockey game, Paul and Barbara’s presence in the stands was absolutely guaranteed, and they could be easily spotted with Paul wearing one of his trademark hats (his “Indiana Jones” hat and his trapper hat with ear flaps were among his favorites). The same was true for any birthday party, family outing, cookout, or other gathering. Paul and Barbara were always, always there for their boys. Paul was immensely proud of each one of his sons and the men they became. And he made sure they knew it. To his great joy (and with his gentle, but persistent, encouragement), Paul’s family grew to include three daughters-in-law and four grandchildren, all of whom he loved dearly. Although their time with Paul was short, his grandchildren will know how much he loved them when they look at any of the many pictures of their proud grandfather adoringly holding them. Paul will be profoundly missed. But he will live on through the many cherished memories of him that so many hold dearly. He is survived by Barbara, his loving wife of 36 years; his sons and daughters-in-law, Joshua Dunn and Cassandra Feeney, Matthew and Lauren (Shea) Dunn, and Tyler and Dominique (DiNitto) Dunn; his grandchildren, Rory, Mila, Maeve, and Donald; his siblings, Mary (Dunn) Wass, John Dunn, and Thomas Dunn; his mother-in-law, Harriet “Ma Terry” (Gilbert) Murphy; his sisters-in-law, Mary (Murphy) Hitte and her husband Wayne; Kathy (Murphy) Theiss; and Patricia (Murphy) Schroth; as well as many nieces and nephews. Visitation will be held on Tuesday, April 25, 2023 from 9:00-10:30 a.m. at the Winfield & Sons Funeral Home, 571 West Greenville Road, Scituate, RI. (His family was happy to discover during service preparation that Paul had, of course, “Surveyed it!” too.) Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11:00 a.m. at St. Joseph Church, 144 Danielson Pike, Scituate, RI, followed by Burial in Acotes Hill Cemetery, 1049 Putnam Pike, Chepachet, RI. If you wish to help celebrate Paul’s life, in lieu of sending flowers, stop and admire them instead. Better yet, plant a tree in his memory so that there will always be woods for us to roam.

Tributes

Paul Joseph Gerard Dunn

April 18, 2023