Dunn, Mary Johnson
Mrs. Mary Kathleen Johnson Dunn, 95, of Roanoke, VA passed away peacefully Tuesday morning, August 9, 2016 with her daughter, Carla, at her side. She was born on November 1, 1920 at the Cook’s Fort Farm in Greenville, WV and was affectionately known by family and friends in that area as Thummie.
She was preceded in death by her parents, John Robert (J.R.) and Mattie Brown Johnson, siblings, Jack Johnson, Robert Johnson, Lucille Cody, Gertrude Fischmann, Eddie Johnson, Ethel Mann, and Sally Phipps. She was also preceded in death by her husband, Carl D. Dunn, of Red Sulphur Springs, WV, who passed away in 1972.
Surviving are her four children, daughter Sally Jennelle of Pearisburg, VA and husband Roger; daughter Carla Dunn of Roanoke, VA; son Jeff Dunn of Dublin, VA and wife Patricia; and daughter Martha Dunn of Milltown, NJ; granddaughter Kari Fender of Radford, VA and husband Keith, and their three children, Claire, Kennedy and Colin; grandson Wesley Jennelle of Pearisburg, VA and wife Stephanie, and their two sons, Grant and Reid. She is also survived by many nieces, nephews and other family members.
Thummie had a fabulous life that few could imagine. Growing up in rural Monroe County WV, she was an active member of the 4-H Club, participated in youth activities at the Centerville Presbyterian Church, attended Marshall University and Ohio University and spent summers teaching at the Civilian Conservation Corps in Union, WV. Looking for adventure, she worked in Dayton, OH for the Air Service Command; taught school in Centerville, OH; was an airline hostess for Penn Central Airlines in Washington, DC; and was employed at the women’s Federal Reformatory in Alderson, WV.
After her marriage to Carl in 1947, his job as a comptroller literally took them around the world in the following order: Columbus, OH; Wichita, KS; Maracaibo, Venezuela; Tulsa, OK; and two different cities in Libya—Benghazi and Tripoli. Mary took advantage of the opportunities she was given and traveled extensively throughout Europe and the Middle East. It wasn’t unusual for her to carry her shopping finds back on her lap, whether it was a birdcage from Tunis or a copper pot from Istanbul. She participated in the leadership of the various Petroleum Women’s Clubs while in Venezuela and Libya. Once back in the United States, Mary resumed working after many years, starting at Lewis Gale Clinic and retiring from the Records Department at the VA Hospital in Salem, VA. She continued her travels and journeyed to Canada, California, Oklahoma, Texas, Florida and many points in between to visit family and friends. After many years, she renewed her high school friendship with Richard Ballard enabling them to share their stories and to develop a relationship during their senior years.
She made friends around the world; and everyone who knew her would agree with the comment, “she had never met a stranger.” She will be greatly missed by those who knew and loved her.
The family would like to offer special thanks to the staff at The Oaks at Richfield in Salem, VA for their compassionate care and service given to Mary for nearly 5 years. Thank you to her internist, Dr. Quasir Raza, who provided her with exceptional care for the last 8 years. She could not have found anyone who could have provided better care and have been more responsive to her needs over these years.
Funeral service will be 1:00 PM, August 12, 2016 at the Centerville Presbyterian Church, Greenville, WV. Burial will follow in the Red Sulphur Springs Church Cemetery, Red Sulphur Springs, WV. Visitation will be 11:00 AM until time of the services at the church, Friday. In lieu of flowers, Thummie requested donations be made to Monroe County 4-H Youth Development – PO Box 238, Union, WV 24983, the Centerville Presbyterian Church, PO Box 72, Greenville, WV 24945; or any charity of their choice. Online guestbook can be signed or condolences may be sent to the family at www.broyles-shrewsbury.com. Arrangements by Broyles-Shrewsbury Funeral Home, Peterstown, WV.