William “Bill” Dunn died at his home on August 25, 2023. He was 78 years old, a native of DeQueen, Arkansas, the son of Rex and Madge Culp Dunn. Bill was survived by his wife of 55 years Paula Diane Bennett, son Jaret Anthony (Lena), cherished grandchildren Alma and Jakob and brothers Robert and Sam Michael Dunn. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother James Dunn and his beloved son Damon Andrew Dunn. Bill loved his family deeply. He is survived by a large extended family. Many friends have described Bill as a renaissance man. He was a voracious reader of literature, history and cookbooks (for recipes and more history). Cooking for his family was a joy. The family home became his library. He wrote beautiful poetry and loved to draw. Bill enjoyed the outdoors. Fishing for speckled trout with his sons or for bass with his father and uncles were treasured times. He hunted in the Homochitto Forest with his friends Harmon Shirley, Rick Pevey and Tom E. Landry. He fished the spillway with his beloved friend Chad Gautreaux. As he grew older, it became less about sport and more about being in nature. At home, he was constantly in his gardens where he welcomed his neighbors. Bill worked for 46 years at the same plant in Geismar sharing humor, friendly debate and support with long time co-workers. He was a US Marine Platoon Sergeant in the Vietnam war. He received the Bronze Star with a V denoting heroism in combat and the Republic of Vietnam Cross for Gallantry with a Gold Star.
Local arrangements are being handled by Seale Funeral Service of Denham Springs. A memorial service will be held in DeQueen, Arkansas, in the fall. Memorial donations can be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital or a charity of your choice.
4 comments
Lynn & Larry Cook
September 4, 2023 at 10:23 pm
The obituary conveyed in the simplest way the extraordinary impact that Bill had on many lives and that he would be missed by so many. What a tribute that is and a model for all of us. It has been many years since we had talked or visited but it is with sadness that we read of his passing. Memories of wood carvings of ducks , hunting stories shared and domino games with Mr. Rex come to mind. Keeping you and your family in our thoughts and prayers.
Paula Dunn
October 24, 2023 at 4:51 pm
Thank you Lynn and Larry.
Jaret and I have such fond memories of our family visits together starting at Woman’s Hospital in 1969. Those wrestling matches were hilarious.
Please know we have thought of you guys often and wish you good health and happiness.
With much love,
Diane
Glenn Bryson
September 3, 2023 at 11:10 pm
One of my close personal friends in my 28 years at Borden Chemical was Bill Dunn. He was in the lab and I was in the engineering department. He was one of the best analysts in the lab. I could always count on Bill to get me accurate results and insight into the results. We worked together on many projects and plant problems .
Veterans seem to find each other and talk about experiences that others would not understand nor appreciate. We often had lunch or work breaks together with other veterans and discussed our Viet Nam experiences. I was in the 5th Infantry Division in the Army and Bill was in the Marine Corps. His experiences as a tunnel rat were revealing of the strength of character he had.
I hope Bill is happy in his new gated community (Heaven!).
Danielle Cummings
September 2, 2023 at 1:14 pm
My darling Uncle Bill was one of a kind! I adored him. He was kind, funny, and made me feel so special. I looked up to him and loved spending time with him
And Aunt Diane and my most favorite cousins! He was the best cook and I particularly loved his crawfish stouter! He was such a big and important part of my childhood… he will be so missed! Love you Uncle Bill!!!!!