William Morgan Dunstan

He is preceded by his wife of 49 years, Joan Mercer Dunstan and his two brothers Thomas S. Dunstan and James C. Dunstan. He is survived by his five children, William Dunstan Jr. (Rebecca), Stephen Dunstan (Carolina, passed 2019), Patricia Mullin (James), Matthew Dunstan (Megan), and Kathleen Vallent (Brian); thirteen grandchildren, Christine Dunstan, Claire Dunstan, Nina Dunstan, James Mullin IV, William Mullin, Bruce Mullin, Sean Dunstan, Ryan Dunstan, Lily Dunstan, Alex Dunstan, Andrew Vallent, Brandon Vallent, and Elizabeth Vallent.

Bill was born in Bayonne, NJ on November 4, 1934. He graduated from The Pingry School in 1952 where he played football and swam. He played football his first year of college at Columbia, transferred to Yale University where he received a B.S. in Engineering in 1956. He graduated from Naval Intelligence School in Washington D.C.and became an intelligence officer on Staff of the Commander-In-Chief of the Atlantic Fleet, Norfolk, VA. While taking night classes he met Joan, where they quickly fell in love and got married in Norfolk, VA. After short careers in banking and engineering, he realized his passion was in the natural sciences so he followed his dreams of becoming an Oceanographer.

With a wife and three children, he gave up a lucrative career to pursue his M.S. (1967) and Ph.D. (1969) in Marine Biology from Florida State University. He worked at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Cape Cod, MA and Skidaway Institute of Oceanography in Savannah, GA. After three years as a Scientific Advisor in Washington, DC, he settled down in Virginia Beach with a rewarding career as a professor at Old Dominion University working in the capacity of Chairman of the Department of Oceanographic and Atmospheric Sciences for most of his career beginning in 1980 and retiring in 2002. He received many grants during his tenure and his scientific articles were requested by institutions worldwide for his research on marine phytoplankton. His favorite plankton was skeletonema costatum and always put a smile on his face.

Bill was a loving and devoted husband, father, brother, and grandfather. His children and wife loved him very much and everyone who knew him could attest to his bright personality, curious mind and his positive outlook on life. He loved nature, gardening, travel, history, art, the beach, good seafood, and spending time with his family. His love for the natural world was his legacy and he passed this on to all his children.

Bill will be deeply missed by his family, friends, and all who knew him.

In lieu of flowers, please remember William Dunstan with memorial contributions to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, 6 Herndon Ave, Annapolis, MD 21403, or at cbf.org/memorial.

A funeral service for William will be held Saturday, March 19, 2022 at 3:00 PM at Woody Funeral Home Huguenot Chapel, 1020 Huguenot Road, Midlothian, Virginia 23113.

After cremation, a burial at St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery in Norfolk, VA will take place at a later date.