William Allen Dunn

Bill was predeceased by his devoted wife of 54 years, Carol (nee Shoemaker) in 2006 and earlier by his parents, Elsie and David A. Dunn.

He is survived by his loving daughter, Julie Smolin, and his adoring granddaughter, Jessie Smolin, and is lovingly remembered by his nephew, Tom, his niece, MaryJo, his great nephew, Josh, his great-niece, Danielle and her husband, Ed, and their daughter, Stella, and many friends.

Bill was born on November 19, 1926 in Hannibal, Missouri. He attended the School of Engineering at the University of Missouri, where he graduated in 1948 with a degree in Chemical Engineering. At Mizzou, he joined the Sigma Chi Fraternity, and was the Head Cheerleader for the Missouri Tigers football and basketball teams. After graduation, he took his first job in Toledo, Ohio, where he met his wife, Carol, while ‘moonlighting’ as a ballroom dance instructor at Arthur Murray Studio.

Bill and his family moved to St. Louis, Missouri, in 1953, where he joined the Petrolite Corporation. In the mid-70s, Bill and Carol moved to Pearland, Texas after Bill was named Plant Manager for Petrolite’s newly opened Bayport Plant. Bill remained Plant Manager until his retirement.

Bill was a man of many talents and had multiple hobbies. In addition to dancing, he was an excellent baritone singer and performed with many choruses and barbershop quartets over the years. He also played the ukulele and bongo drums, and, after moving to Texas, he learned to play the organ and was an enthusiastic and colorful member of the Lowry’s L.I.F.E. Music Makers for many years. He and Carol greatly enjoyed their annual memberships to the Houston Symphony and to several of the Houston museums.

Bill was an inveterate tinkerer and loved to build or rebuild anything electrical, most memorably a series of tropical fish tanks, finally culminating in a beautiful backyard fishpond at his home in Texas. Bill and Carol shared a great love for animals, and, over the years, they totally spoiled many purebred and rescue cats and dogs, plus, of course, the tropical fish. They also wooed copious numbers of purple martins to their yard yearly with secret techniques.

Bill was an enthusiastic and pretty fair golfer, and he and Carol were members of Golfcrest Country Club for many years. He loved living on the Golfcrest course and being able to drive his golf cart right onto the beautiful fairway.

Bill and Carol were long-time members of the First Presbyterian Church of Pearland, where Bill participated in Sunday School, the Serendipity Group, the Men’s Breakfast Group, for which he was the Treasurer, and the Monday Night Ken Nicoll Fellowship group.

Bill will be missed by many. He was loved for his invariable kindness, his always positive personality, his frequent dapper attire, and his fun sense of humor, as well as his devoted full-time attention to Carol’s care after he retired. His family will rest easy knowing that he is now in heaven and enjoying time with Carol, his parents, and a virtual menagerie of loving creatures.

Interment will take place in a private ceremony on Wednesday, April 8, 2020 at Forest Park East in Webster, Texas. Due to current social gathering restrictions, no visitation is arranged at this time.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Humane Society of the United States.