Christopher Dunn

November 7, 2017

Obituary

On Tuesday, November 7, 2017, with enduring courage, Christopher passed peacefully away in the loving arms of his wife Hilda, sons Christopher and James and sister Catherine.

Predeceased by his parents John D’Arcy and Patricia Gracia Dunn, brother Jeffrey (Sonya) and mother-in-law Mary Wakeham. Leaving to mourn his wife Hilda, sons Christopher and James, sister Catherine, father-in-law James Wakeham, brother-in-law Tony (Patricia) Wakeham and their children Christopher and Stephanie, brother-in-law Robert Coutts (Catherine) and their children Lauren, Kathleen and Emily, nieces who he mentored and inspired.

Chris was a senior member of the Department of Political Science, MUN. A dedicated teacher, Chris ranks among Canada’s foremost scholars in the study of public policy and public administration. His many books and articles influenced Canadian political thought, leaving a lasting mark on his students, colleagues, the University, and the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Chris shared his life’s journey with his soulmate Hilda.  Two free spirits, they were anchored by their mutual love and devotion to their children.  A doting father, he used his brilliant mind and gentle ways to teach his sons compassion, honesty and empathy.

Chris’s deep and abiding faith allowed him to meet God with such dignity and peace, that if only for a time, he delayed the sting of grief for those who stood guard at his side.

Visitation will be held at Carnell’s Funeral Home, 329 Freshwater Road on Thursday, November 9 from 7 – 9 p.m. and Friday, November 10 from 2 – 4 p.m. and 7 – 9 p.m.  Funeral Mass to take place at St. Pius X Church, Smithville Crescent on Saturday, November 11, 2017 at 11:30 a.m.   Private interment to follow at the Father McGettigan Cemetery in Southeast, Placentia. Flowers are gratefully accepted or donations may be made to Development and Peace, 622 Tache Avenue, Winnipeg, MB, R2H 2B4.

Schedule

Visitations

7-9 p.m. on November 9, 2017

2-4 p.m. on November 10, 2017

7-9 p.m. on November 10, 2017

Carnell’s Funeral Home
329 Freshwater Road
View on Map


funeral

11:30am, Saturday November 11th

St. Pius X


Condolences

Leave a Condolence

Your email address will not be published.


This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

To the Dunn family,

I am very sorry for your loss. It was with great sadness that I heard that Chris had passed away. I got to know Chris in the early years of my first full-time academic appointment. He guided me through one of my first publications with kindness and generosity. While I had not seen him for some years, I never forgot how supportive he was when I was a recently-minted Ph.D. The political science community in Canada has lost a great scholar, teacher, and colleague.

I wish the Dunn family strength and peace at this difficult time.

Dear Hilda – I was shocked tonight to read of Chris’ passing. He was such a wonderful man and his love for you was always evident. Words cannot express the sorrow I feel on discovering this sad news. . May God bless and comfort you and and your sons and give you the peace that passes all understanding.

I was so sad to hear of the loss of Chris. My sincere condolences to his family. I got to know him through conferences, and the Handbook of Canadian Public Administration, a wonderful contribution to public administration. Chris helped to make the world a better place. He will be greatly missed.

I am one of many students who had the privilege of taking classes with Professor Dunn during my time at Memorial. Myself and another former student of his, Justin Tobin, discussed topics we learned during his lectures many years afterwards.

Sincerest condolences on the loss of a great Professor and the kindest of people.

Hilda & family, thinking of you and your family during this difficult time, I was so surprised to hear of Chris’s passing. May the wonderful memories with Chris bring you comfort in those difficult times ahead.
God Bless and take good care
Bernadette

My condolences to you and the family. Chris was a good friend and colleague over more than 30 years. We collaborated on a number of academic projects where I learned to appreciate his work ethic, fairness, and good humour. He will be greatly missed by all of us who knew him.

David Zussman
University of Ottawa
Victoria, B.C.

My condolences to you, and many happy memories of Chris be with you. But when sadness comes, may these promises from Jehovah God help you to endure. “Do not be anxious….but in everything by prayer and supplication along with thanksgiving, let your petitions be made known to God; and the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your mental powers by means of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7; Isaiah 25:8 NWT.

Dear Chris
Ken and I were deeply shocked and saddened when Kendra called to tell us of your dad”s passing.. We had the privilege of meeting him in Montreal a few years back (en roue to Bishop’s) and it was very apparent to us how proud of you he was.
Although it is difficult to find the words to express our sorrow., please take comfort knowing that you, your mom and James are in our thoughts and prayers.
God Bless
With deepest sympathy
Sylvia and Ken Tatemiichi

Hilda and Family,

So sorry to hear of your loss. Keep those wonderful memories close at heart.

Hilda & boys, deepest condolences. Thoughts and prayers are with you all. God bless

Dear Hilda, Christopher and James,
We are so sorry to hear this tragic news. Chris was a class act: humble, kind, smart and funny. Your loss is shared by all who knew Chris and loved him.

Matthew, Marina, Eoin and Ailis.

I will write this in French, because Chris enjoyed reading my papers in this language and also because it’s easier to find the right words in your first langage.

Chris a supervisé la rédaction de mon essai pour l’obtention de ma maîtrise il y a quelques années. Sa curiosité intellectuelle était contagieuse. Je garde en mémoire les impressionnantes piles des livres qui s’élevaient pratiquement jusqu’au plafond de son bureau. Il y retrouvait avec joie des ouvrages, des articles ou de vieux rapports gouvernementaux qui allaient devenir précieux pour ma recherche.

Chris était parfois un peu maladroit, mais nous soutirait immanquablement un sourire, parce qu’il était profondément humain, drôle et empathique. Humble et ouverts aux idées nouvelles, il valorisait l’originalité dans la réflexion. Je l’en remercie sincèrement.

Mes condoléances à toutes la famille,

Samuel Pagé-Plouffe

HIlda, I was so sad for you, Christopher and James to hear of the passing of Chris. I know your hearts are broken. I hope that your wonderful family memories will bring you all comfort in time. Thinking of you all, Karen Moore

To Hilda and Family,
Heart felt condolences to you and all your family during this heartbreaking time. May God bless you all.

Hilda

So sorry to hear. Thinking of you and your family.

Terri-Lynn

Hilda & family:
I’m so very sorry for your loss. God Bless.

Brenda Warren

Hilda,Christopher,James & Mr.Wakeham & Family,
Sending Our Sincere Condolences to Our Long Time Friends & Neighbors on the recent passing of Chris –
A dear Husband,Father,Son In Law,Brother,Brother In
Law and Friend. May The Prayers & Support of Family & Friends Around You Help You All Through This Difficult Time Today & The Days Ahead.
God Bless & Take Care
” In The Rising Of The Sun And In Its Going Down ,We W ill Remember”

Hilda, Chris, James,
Please accept our sincerest and most heartfelt condolences. We are both truly saddened by this news.

Hilda,
My most deep and sincere condolences for you, James and Christopher.

Hilda and family,
My thoughts and prayers are with you at this sad time. Cherish all the wonderful memories.
Marilyn Hicks

My most sincere condolences to Dr. Dunn’s family. Dr. Dunn was my academic supervisor for my Honours, and beyond that a great mentor. I learned a great deal from him, and he totally prepared me for graduate school and my career in public service.
(As an aside, I’ll never forget running into him, Hilda and his son, in the middle of Piccadilly Circus. I was there studying at the LSE, and they were just in from Harlow for the evening watching a show. I had been feeling a little homesick that day, so it was such a happy coincidence to see a familiar face. )
He will certainly be missed for his academic contributions to the field of Canadian federalism and public administration. and even more so by the students, like me, on whom he had a profound and lasting impact. Rest in peace.

Dear Hilda and family, so sorry to hear this sad news. My thoughts and prayers are with you at this very difficult time. God Bless.

Hilda and Family: We are deeply saddened by the news of Chris’s passing. He was such a gentleman, one so dedicated to his family and his work. May God bless, comfort and strengthen you in these difficult days. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. Rest in peace, my friend.

Sincere condolences to Dr. Dunn’s family. He was truly a gentleman and a scholar, and contributed a great deal to the study of political science. His insightful analysis of Canadian federalism was always a pleasure to read and hear. I am sure he was a great mentor to countless students. He has left a lasting legacy.

Hilda and family, my thoughts and prayers are with you at this difficult time. May all of your cherished memories comfort you in the coming days.

Maureen Porter MUN

Hilda, Chris and James,

I am so sorry to hear of the passing of Chris. Cherish your memories of your husband and father. Take care of each other. Hugs from afar. Lesley

I had the privilege of having Dr. Dunn as not only one of my professors at Memorial, but as lead lecturer during my Harlow excursion in 2010. Dr. Dunn was a man who took genuine care and interest in all of his students and had a real passion for sharing his wisdom for political science. His sneaky sense of humor for political satire and refusal to double knot his shoestrings ( meaning we had frequent breaks for him to retie them on outings) always made us laugh and at ease with him as our teacher. Working as a lifeguard during my undergraduate years we both frequented the pool on occasion, where he always took time away from his free stroke to ask me how my paper or other classes were going. Nothing was ever too much trouble for him.

Dr. Dunn had such a calming presence and was truly devoted to his students, his family, and continued learning. The Harlow class of 2010 will never forget all the great moments we shared with him and I personally will never forget the sense of community and commitment he brought to my fellow students and I at Memorial University.

My sincerest condolences on the loss of a great man, mind, father, and teacher.

Hilda and family,
I consider myself so fortunate to have worked with both of you… Dr. Dunn was a legend and one of a kind. Please know I am thinking of you and your sons in the days ahead.

I was lucky to have Dr. Dunn as a professor in my early undergraduate days. I remember approaching him after a class to ask if he would sign a document declaring my minor in Political Science. Instead of scribbling it then and there, he suggested that we walk down the hall to grab a coffee and chat. I bumbled out the best words I could find about why I wanted to take this route and he listened kindly and with interest. That simple moment meant a lot to me as a young student.
My condolences on your great loss.

Hilda,

I am so sorry to hear of Chris’ passing. He and I were young visiting Assistant Professors at the University of Victoria in1982 and we became good friends. In fact, we co-taught a course together. Chris was very bright and always good humored. He loved the academic life and Memorial. But mostly he was devoted to you and the boys. I wish you and your family well during this extremely difficult time. I will miss my friend.

I knew Chris for over thirty years. He was a good friend and an excellent scholar. I will remember our several projects, our many lunches and dinners, and his wry sense of humour. My sympathy to his family and friends. He is missed already.

.

Hilda, I am very sorry to hear the news about your husband, Christopher. I only meet him a couple of times but his impression on me was that he was a very down to earth nice guy. My condolences to you and your family.

I am sorry to hear about the loss of Dr. Dunn. I had him for Aboriginal governance a few years ago and he did a great job teaching a course about a very important issue in Canadian society. I also had the pleasure of meeting Chris Jr as President of the United Nations society and I could see how his father molded him. My condolences to the Dunn family

Chris was a student and research assistant of mine back in the 1970s at the University of Manitoba. We became lifetime friends and I worked on several of the valuable collections of essays that he inspired and brought to completion. He was highly intelligent and dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge in the fields of Canadian Politics, public administration and public policy. A highly accomplished scholar and advisor to government, he wore his reputation for excellent work with the modesty that is typical of many Manitobans. He was a kind and most generous person. I extend my most sincere condolences to his wife and sons who have lost a loving husband and father. He will be greatly missed. Paul Thomas

I was so sad to hear about Chris. We go back a long way to his period in Saskatchewan and worked together on many books and projects together over the past three decades. Chris was a wonderful and dedicated scholar, but more importantly, a kind and gentle soul and I will miss him a lot.

Dear Hilda and family,
We are so very sorry to hear of Chris’ passing. Thinking of you, sharing in your sadness, and wishing you strength today and in the days ahead.

We are deeply saddened by the news of Christopher’s passing.We will always remember his dedication to Memorial and to his family , his engaging personality and good humour..
As a community ,we are diminished by his loss.Our prayers are will you all.

Annette and Michael Staveley

So sad to hear of your loss. Know that Dr. Dunn had a great impact on many students. He will forever be missed. Thoughts and prayers to all.

Hilda, Christopher, James and family,
I was so very sorry and astonished to hear of Chris’ passing. My love, prayers and condolences to all.

Hilda, Christopher and James, I am so sorry to hear of Chris’ passing. My thoughts and prayers are with you all at this terrible time.

Dear Hilda and family,
So sorry to hear this sad news. Chris was truly a great man and will missed terribly.
Our thoughts go out to you and all your family.
We will remember him fondly.
Love from Sandra and all at Harlow Campus

Hilda,
So sorry to hear of your loss. Please know my prayers are yours at this time. Take care!

Hilda and family,
I was so sorry to hear of your loss. My thoughts are with you at this terrible time.

Hilda and family,
Please accept my warm and heartfelt sympathy . I am saddened by the loss of your wonderful soul mate. Chris left a lasting impression on the hearts of many. Keeping you close in my thoughts and prayers.
Sincerely,
Dianne O’Leary

Deepest Sympathy on the passing of Dr. Dunn . Dr. Dunn was a professor of mine back in the early 90’s at MUN. He was always there for students. God Bless his soul.

My thoughts are with you at this difficult time. Words cannot replace the loss you must be feeling. Take care and know that friends and family are here to support you.

I was sad to see that this man passed.

I read much of what he wrote and was passionate
about his subjects.

May his soul R.I.P

Hilda, I was so shocked and saddened to hear the news. God bless you and the boys. So sorry for your loss. xo Wynn-Ann

Hilda, Christopher, James and Mr. Wakeham we are so sorry and are sending prayers and love your way at this very difficult time. Chris was a wonder man and we will remember him and all the times we have shared together. Love to you all Margo and Ray Hanlon

Hilda, Christopher, James and Mr. Wakeham we were saddened to hear of the passing of Chris Senior. Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this time.

Hilda, Christopher, James and James Senior plus Cathy and all the Dunn family, we are heartbroken
by the loss of Chris senior. He was such an
extraordinarily kind, gentle, sincere and brave man. So absolutely devoted to you his family, to his many friends, colleagues and students. We wish to extend to you our deepest sympathy at this tender time.
Mary-Frances, Kevin and Aiden

Hilda and family, so sorry to hear of your great loss. God bless you all.

Hilda, Christopher, James and family:
Myself and John, Sarah and Nicole send our thoughts and prayers to you at this difficult time.

Chris, I was so sorry to hear about the loss of your father. Please know that I will be keeping your family in my prayers. May your loving father rest in peace.

Hilda, Chris and James.

So very sorry to hear of your loss. Please know my prayers are yours at this time. I am sorry to miss the visitation as I’m not in town. take care and god bless

Cathy Dornan

Hilda and family we send sincere condolences on Chris’ passing. May He rest in peace. God bless you and your family.

Dominus Vobiscum