Richard A. Dunn, Sr. of Seat Pleasant, Maryland departed this life on February 21, 2022. He was born in Dedham, Massachusetts on January 4, 1932, the son of the late Dorothy and Leo Dunn, Sr. Richard grew up in Dedham where he attended and graduated from St. Mary’s Catholic School in 1949. On September 5th, 1955, he was united in marriage to Florence Comita at St. Williams Catholic Church in Tewksbury, Massachusetts. Richard joined the U.S. Navy on July 3, 1951, and served until June 25, 1955, in Norfolk, Virginia as an Opticalman Second Class and remained on naval reserve for another four years. During his service he travelled to Paris, Athens and Rome which were some of his greatest moments. Richard and Florence moved to the DC/MD area where on January 2nd of 1957, Richard joined the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C. where he stayed until his retirement on February 1st of 1975, retiring as a Staff Desk Sergeant. He did not know the meaning of retirement as he then attended Prince George’s Community College where he graduated with an Associate of Arts degree in June 1977 and then worked for the Prince Georges County Board of Education as a school bus driver from 1983 until he retired from there in 2005. Richard had many nicknames but many of us will fondly remember him as Papa Smurf or Papi. He loved fishing, hunting, trapping but most of all loved being with his family. He was a wonderful, loving, and caring man who will be missed dearly by his family and friends.
Richard is survived by his children Robert, Christine Benitez, Lora, Patrick and wife Rhonda and William and wife Kristina. His beloved grandchildren Leigh Dunn, Sheila Modena and husband Robert, Melissa Benitez, Patrick Dunn, Jr., James Dunn, and Brandon McNeely. He was also blessed with two great grandchildren Natalie and Robert, III Modena. He is also survived by his sisters Barbara Farley and husband Jim, Patricia Cumings, Ida Mulhare and husband Michael, Pamela Kempton and husband Jim, Mary Jane Moorhouse and husband Steve and Dawn Dunn, brother in laws John and Frank Comita, sister in laws Marijane and Lea Dunn, Theresa Dusablon and Anne DesLongchamps, many nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews and great-great nieces and nephews. Richard was predeceased by the love of his life, his wife of 49 years, Florence, his sons Richard Jr. and Michael, his daughter Dorene, a grandson Richard Dunn, III, a son-in-law Mario Benitez, a daughter-in-law Deborah (Reynolds) Dunn, sisters Dorothy Page, Helen Holden, brothers Leo, Francis, John and brother-in-law’s Bill Page, Skip Cumings ,Bunky Holden, Andrew, Jr, Hugo, and Thomas Comita, Tom Gigliotti, Andrew Zambella, Bill Bartlett and sister in laws Mary Comita, Elizabeth Gigliotti, Catherine Zambella and Albina Bartlett. A service of Catholic Mass for Richard will be held on Wednesday, March 9, 2022, at Saint Margaret’s of Scotland Catholic Church located at 410 Addison Road South, Seat Pleasant, Maryland 20743. Viewing will be from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. with services and repast following. A private interment at Fort Lincoln Cemetery will be at the family’s discretion.
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