Gene Dunn

Jesse Gene Dunn

June 13, 1940 – November 23, 2023

On the 23 rd of November 2023, at 7:30 in the morning, the heavenly host rejoiced as Jesse Gene Dunn joined his mother, father, and identical twin brother in eternity.  A celebration of life will take place in John Day Oregon at the Humbolt School Cafeteria, on December 16 at 2:00 p.m.  A reception will follow at the Humbolt School Cafeteria.

Gene was born on June 13, 1940, but his story began a few years earlier when his mother, Fern Motley of Halfway Oregon, married James Dunn, a mining engineer from the Cornucopia gold mine just outside of town.

Upon leaving the hospital the day he and his brother Dean were born; Gene’s dad drove the family back to their rough sawn cabin near the entrance to the mine. This is where Gene’s journey through the American West began to take shape.

When he was still an infant, the family packed up and moved to another mine near Prineville, Oregon. Then another mine near Deadwood, Idaho. And still another mine near Gunnison Colorado. By the time he was a teenager; Gene had become a part of the mountain west and worked alongside his father in hard rock tunnels. In his free time, the forests, lakes and rivers became his playground. Those wild lands provided all the sustenance he needed.

As he walked into adulthood, his priorities changed. While the wild places where he’d learned to ski, fish, and hunt still stirred his spirit, the desire to spend his days underground faded away. He decided to enroll in college in Gunnison and study to be a doctor. Part way through his college career, he met Sally Johnson, the daughter of the Montrose Colorado Mayor. After a brief courtship they were married.

Within a year and a half of saying “I do,” his first child Susan was born. With the birth of his baby girl, Gene’s priorities changed once again. He left college to provide for his new family by taking a job with the Bureau of Reclamation, building dams in Western Colorado. Nearly three years after Susan’s birth, his first son Jimmy made his appearance. Gene now yearned to reconnect with his Oregon roots. Within a couple of years, he moved his family to the town of Vale. He worked for the Soil Conservation Service, surveying irrigation ditches and grading fields.

When his third child Stephen came screaming into the world, his family was complete. His priority change came knocking once again. He knew that the best life he could provide for his family would be one that was attached to a college degree. So, he moved the family to La Grande and returned to school with the help of his in-laws, and a small salary from part-time work in a local meat processing shop.

When he graduated from EOSC with a teaching degree, he was offered a full-time elementary school position. He moved the family again, but this time to John Day. The moment he stepped in front of the blackboard and stared at the room full of eager young faces ready to learn, he knew he’d found his passion.

For twenty-eight years, he taught fourth and fifth grade, at Humbolt Elementary. He was instrumental in the educational enrichment of four hundred plus students. He was a volunteer chess coach, a flag football coach, a camp counselor for challenged youth. He created an extensive astronomy program for all students in the county, incorporating all grade levels. On most summer evenings, he could be found in his driveway, surrounded by as many as thirty kids, all waiting for a turn at the viewfinder on his eight-inch Celestron telescope.

In addition to his passion for education, he had a strong desire to help people. He took extra schooling and became an EMT and worked on the volunteer ambulance for several years. 

Gene retired in 1998, and became an ordained minister, pastoring a local church.  He spent his final years enjoying his family, gardening, travelling, camping, fishing, hunting, and collecting fossils. He lived in John Day for fifty-two years.

Gene is survived by his loving wife Sally, his daughter Susan (Eric), his son Jim (Judy), his son Stephen (Velyn). Grandchildren: Matthew, Alyssa, Joshua, Jeremy, Lucas, and Adam. Great Grandchildren: Kanen, Harmony, and Noah. He is also survived by his niece Denette, and her children Christina and Denelle. And, his nephew James (Melinda) and their children Blake, Morgan, Mckenna, and Landon.

 For those who would like to make a memorial donation in memory of Jesse, the family asks that you make a tax-deductible donation to the Carrie Young Memorial PO Box 192, John Day, Oregon, 97845 Please make checks payable to; “The Carrie Young Memorial.” In the memo write “Gene Dunn”.Online condolences may be shared at www.tamispinevalleyfuneralhome.com