Thomas Reynolds Dunn

Thomas Reynolds Dunn, 81, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his wife and children, on Wednesday, October 7, 2015, after a six-year battle with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Tommy was born on December 5, 1933, in Raleigh, NC to the late N. A. Dunn, Jr. and Rose Elizabeth Reynolds Dunn. He is survived by his wife, Alice Smith Dunn, whom he met on a blind date, courted for 5 months before marrying, and enjoyed 48 years together. And they said it wouldn’t last! He is survived by his children, daughter, Debra L. Dunn, and her husband, Thomas F. Furey, of Wayne, PA, and son, Thomas R. Dunn, Jr. of Raleigh. He is also survived by two grandsons, Matt Colleran and Will Colleran, two step-grandchildren, Tom Furey, Jr. and Grace Furey, all of Wayne, PA, and numerous other family members who will miss him greatly. In addition to his parents, Tommy was predeceased by his sister, Elizabeth Dickson Dunn Beckwith, and brother, N. A. Dunn, III, both of Raleigh.

Having grown up in the family laundry business (Oak City Laundry in downtown Raleigh), Tommy opened his own business, Dunn’s Cleaners, in 1966, which he operated until closing and retiring in 1997. Tommy spent his whole life in Raleigh, and was proud to be a member of the Ole Raleigh Boys. He attended Ravenscroft School in Raleigh, Fishburne Military School in Waynesboro, VA, NC State University in Raleigh, and Wake Forest University at its original location in Wake Forest, NC.

One of Tommy’s loves was sailing with his son and the Raleigh Sail and Power Squadron of which he was a part for many years. He was a devoted member of New Hope Baptist Church for 38 years, where he was a member of the Discussion Sunday School Class, volunteered in missions work in Honduras, and was a Deacon. Tommy served as a fireman for the Wake New Hope Volunteer Fire Department, was an active member of Boy Scout Troup 349 of the Occoneechee Council, and was a baseball coach for Wilder’s Grove Little League. He served in the U. S. Army at the end of the Korean War and was a chief cook while stationed in Germany as a Corporal. Those who knew him well remember Tommy as an avid Duke Basketball fan, who could tell a tale that would put a smile on faces and afford a laugh to all of those around him.

While flowers are accepted, memorial contributions may be made to the Debt Retirement of New Hope Baptist Church, 4301 Louisburg Rd., Raleigh, NC 27604; UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, CB #7295, UNC-CH, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7295; or Rex Healthcare Foundation, Cancer Center Angel Fund, 2500 Blue Ridge Rd., Suite 325, Raleigh, NC 27607. The family is extremely grateful for the clinical trial Tommy participated in at UNC and the treatment he received at Rex Hematology Oncology, as well as treatment from many other doctors.

Visitation will be from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Friday, October 9, at Brown-Wynne Funeral Home, 1701 E. Millbrook Rd., Raleigh. A celebration of Tommy’s life will take place at New Hope Baptist Church at 11:00 a.m. on October 10, with burial to follow at Oakwood Cemetery, 701 Oakwood Ave., Raleigh.