Dean Bunch

Dean Boggs Bunch, an attorney who lived and practiced in Tallahassee since 1976, died at his home on December 23, 2022, of prostate cancer. He is survived by a wonderful family: Martha, his wife with whom he shared 50 years of marriage; their children Dr. Lynn Bunch O'Neill (James) of Atlanta and John Alexander Bunch (Jenna) of Las Vegas; and grandchildren Luke and Madelyn O'Neill and Collin Dean Bunch; and brother Frank Bunch.

Dean was born August 17, 1948, in Jacksonville, son of architect Franklin S. Bunch and Virginia Boggs Bunch. He earned undergraduate degrees in political science from Stetson University and in journalism from the University of Florida. At Stetson, he was elected editor of the student newspaper and planned to pursue a career in journalism. He was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Army Signal Corps through ROTC and entered active duty in 1969.

While in the Army, he decided to attend law school and, upon his return from Vietnam, enrolled at the University of Florida College of Law in 1971. In Gainesville, Dean met Martha Lynn Williams, a graduate student in counselor education, from Poplarville, Mississippi. They were married on August 26, 1972.

After graduation, he served for two years as an assistant dean at the UF College of Law. Known affectionately by his students as “Double Dean” or “Dean-squared,” he was the director of the legal ethics program, teaching law students the fundamentals of the Code of Professional Responsibility.

Dean started his career in practice in 1976 with the Tallahassee law firm of Ervin, Varn, Jacobs, Odom, and Kitchen. He remained in Tallahassee throughout his 41-year career until his retirement from the firm of Nelson, Mullins, Riley, and Scarborough in 2017. For his first decade in practice, he engaged in general civil litigation and also represented public officials accused of ethical violations before the Florida Senate and the Florida Commission on Ethics. During the last 30 years, he exclusively represented automobile, truck, and motorcycle manufacturers and importers in their disputes with their dealers.

In addition to his practice, Dean continued his interest in ethics. He served four years, including a year as chair, as a member of the Florida Commission on Ethics. In this role, he presided as a hearing officer over disputed evidentiary hearings and issued recommended dispositions of complaints to the Commission. The Commission on Ethics handles complaints against all public officials and employees, with the exception of judges. His final post in his "ethical career" involved serving eight years, including a year as chair, on the Florida Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee. The Committee, composed of ten judges and two lawyers, issues opinions to inquiring state court judges regarding their obligations under the Code of Judicial Ethics.

Dean and Martha were a "professional team," supporting each other in their careers and parental responsibilities. Martha retired as an educational administrator in 2008, completing her career by serving as principal of Lincoln High School for 12 years. Dean loved accompanying Martha to Lincoln events as “first husband.” His blood truly ran green and gold.

In recent years, Dean and Martha enjoyed time spent in the mountains near Waynesville, North Carolina, and traveled extensively in Europe. Whether in the Great Smoky Mountains, the other U.S. national parks, or the Alps, the two hiked to many great heights and sites. Their crowning achievement was summiting the Breithorn in 2013.

Dean was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2010. This disease is a service-connected condition for those who served in Vietnam and were therefore presumed to be exposed to the chemical Agent Orange. Dean was always grateful to the dedicated doctors, nurses, and staff of the VA medical system, both in Atlanta and Tallahassee. Compassionate care provided by the Atlanta VA Palliative Care team over the past eight years enabled him to continue to live his best life. Dean endeavored to follow the principle shared by Stuart Scott, the late ESPN commentator. Upon receiving an award for courage in facing the disease, Scott stated, "When you die, it does not mean you lose to cancer. You beat cancer by how you live, why you live, and the manner in which you live."

A memorial service will be held at Trinity United Methodist Church, 120 West Park Avenue, Tallahassee, on Monday, January 2, 2023, at 11 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Dean’s memory to the Emory Center for Palliative Care by going to together.emory.edu/Bunch, or by printing a gift form at tinyurl.com/ye2aaksd, specifying “Center for Palliative Care” and mailing it to Office of Gift Accounting, Emory University, 1762 Clifton Road NE, Suite 2400, Atlanta, GA 30322-4001.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.CulleysMeadowWood.com for the Bunch family.