Paul Dunn is still living a full life. He spent most of his adult years living in Italy. Now he resides at Maple Tree Village. He was born in May 1923 in Jenks, Oklahoma. His father was a butcher; Mom was a housewife. He had one sister.
Paul has fond memories about his childhood; he doted on his pet duck and rode bareback on horses. Getting his first bicycle is still a special memory. A friend of his parents fixed up a used bike and gave it to Paul for Christmas. The family didn’t have much, but Paul’s mother was always cooking and sharing meals with the neighbors.
After he graduated from high school, Paul found work on a chicken farm. Soon after, World War II began. He enlisted with the U.S. Navy in 1942 and trained as an aviation cadet. Paul served stateside and in the Asiatic-Pacific Theatre until his discharge in 1945.
He met his future wife, Jane Wright, in San Diego. He was attending San Diego Community College on the GI Bill, and she was his English teacher. They were married in December 1948.
Paul got his BS from San Diego State University and an MS from Ohio State University. While he and Jane were in Ohio, they lived in a fraternity house with their first daughter, Paulette. Jane was the house mother and cook for the frat.
After getting his MS, the young family moved to San Jacinto, California. They had three more children, Mary, Margo, and Hayden. The family now includes eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
In 1964, Paul took a job with the USDA and the family moved to Rome, Italy. He headed up the Rome lab and worked as a research entomologist. He traveled in his VW van throughout Europe and the Middle East, looking for insects.
Jane passed away in 1969. Paul suddenly found himself a single parent with four children. The children were educated at an international school. He did his best to juggle his work and family responsibilities.
After living abroad for many years, the siblings returned to California. Paul remarried and stayed in Italy. Daughter Margo Fox recalls frequent visits with her father after she and her own family moved to Abu Dhabi for her husband’s work.This enabled Paul to have quality time with his grandsons.
Paul moved back to California in 2020. His apartment is filled with the art pieces he created while living in Italy. But the most important possession he brought back with him is his cat Allegra! She is his constant companion. Staff at MTV make it a point to stop by Paul’s apartment to say hello to her as well as Paul. Both of them are very popular.
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