Virginia T. Dunn, 89, of Middletown, passed away peacefully at home Dec. 30, 2023, with family by her side. She was born Nov. 26, 1934, in the Flushing neighborhood of Queens, New York, to Harriet and Duncan O’Brien. An only child doted on by her adoring parents, Ginny graduated from Bayside High School, later earning her associate degree at Averett College and attending Barnard College.
Ginny attended Bayside High School and met her future husband Frank (“Mike”) Dunn at a YMCA dance. In June 1956, these former high school sweethearts married and immediately left (with their dog Buffy) for Mike’s Marine Corps basic training. The following six years saw them move many times, from North Carolina to Virginia to New York to Georgia and back again, as they welcomed four daughters, Kathleen, Patricia, Judy and Diana.
With Mike’s Marine Corps service concluding, the couple bought their first home in the “I” section of Strathmore in Aberdeen. Ginny and Mike welcomed their fifth child, a son David, and moved to Marlboro where they raised their family.
Ginny loved having a large family and they were her primary focus. A bit of an “efficiency expert” (perhaps it was all that time on Marine Corps bases) she had her bustling big family, never complete without at least one dog, running like a well-oiled machine. Ginny served as a leader for her daughters’ Girl Scout troops and volunteered in the area schools. Believing in the importance of being informed and involved in her community, Ginny was a highly engaged member of the Marlboro Republican Club, serving in a variety of roles including poll worker and committeewoman. In 1981, Ginny was named Municipal Court Clerk for Marlboro Township, a position she would hold for over 20 years.
Following their decades living in Marlboro, Ginny and Mike moved to Freehold, later relocating to Shadow Lake Village, Middletown, to be closer to family.
In many ways Ginny’s foundation was formed at her family’s cabin in White Lake, New York. Built by her maternal grandfather, David Tate Tunstall, Ginny spent 88 summers at the lakeside log cabin, a place she considered heaven on earth. It was there she learned to swim, an activity she would compete in at both the club and varsity level. Her swimming prowess and natural grace led her to become involved in synchronized swimming at the collegiate level. When she was not swimming or itching to go out in a rowboat, Ginny could be seen sitting on the dock or the deck re-reading a Sue Grafton novel or reading the latest Louise Penny release. Ginny was never happier than when she was at “The Lake” and she passed on this love to her children, grandchildren and all who visited.
Ginny was predeceased by her parents, Duncan and Harriet née Tunstall O’Brien; her husband of 53 years Mike Dunn; and her beloved daughter Diana Dunn-Graves.
She is survived by her children, Kathleen Carney (Neal) of Los Gatos, California, Patricia Dunn of Middletown, Judy Horan (John) of Fair Haven, and David Dunn of Aberdeen; son-in-law Andre Graves of Middletown; grandchildren, Rachel, Colin (Lauren), Michael, Jack, Sean, Liam, Carson, and Tori; and her great-grandchild Lily.
Visitation was held Jan. 7 at Thompson Memorial Home, Red Bank. A Mass of Christian Burial was held Jan. 8 at Holy Cross Church, Rumson. Burial followed at Clover Leaf Memorial Park, Iselin. In lieu of flowers, the family invites donations in Virginia’s name to the charity of choice or Memorial Sloan Kettering in memory of Virginia’s daughter.
This article originally appeared in the January 18 – 24, 2024 print edition of The Two River Times.
