Richard Andrew Dunn, 79, was born on Feb, 13, 1945, in Paterson, New Jersey, to David J. Dunn and Estelle N. Dunn, the second of three children.
He grew up in Ramsey, New Jersey, and moved to Colorado where he graduated from Adams State College and earned a master’s degree in education from Colorado State University. He was a high school teacher in Maryland and Idaho until he suffered a stroke at the age of 41, but was able to continue his love of the Old West, especially its heritage, culture and outdoor life. He was an avid outdoorsman, hunter and expert gunsmith, restoring historic firearms and producing authentic black powder replicas. His outdoor Western adventures pushed his physical limits to the maximum; he once miraculously survived a fall from a high cliff by clinging to a small ledge and regaining the top.
In his later years he lived in Cheyenne, Wyoming, where he remained fascinated by the history of the American West, especially Native American and military subjects, including the American Revolution, the Civil War and the Western frontier, visiting battlefields and historic sites, and sharing insights with friends.
He was a devout Lutheran and active member of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Cheyenne until moving to Fort Wayne in 2024 to reside in Lutheran Life Villages.
He is survived by a sister, Margaret Mary Downs, and by his cousins Dr. Michael A. Dunn of Ossian and James A. Dunn of Palm Springs, California.
Funeral Services will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Feb 1, 2025, in the Chapel at Lutheran Life Villages, 6701 S. Anthony Blvd. in Fort Wayne. Visitation will take place for one hour prior to the service at Lutheran Life Villages.
Burial will take place at Highland Cemetery in South Bend.
Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the care of the Lemler family of Thoma/Rich, Lemler Funeral Home in Bluffton. Friends can send online condolences to the family at www.thomarich.com.