Dorothy Davenport Dunn
June 28, 1921 ~ July 9, 2012
Resided in:
Asheville, NC
Dorothy Davenport Dunn left this life Monday, July 9, 2012, to be with her Lord.
Dorothy was born in Marion, NC on June 28, 1921. She was the daughter of Joseph Clayton and Sallie Houck Davenport. Her father died when she was two years old when wounded by poison gas in WWI. Her mother was remarried to Clyde E. Tuttle. Dorothy was also preceded in death by her husband, Joseph O'Brien Dunn, in 1992.
Dorothy was baptized at 12 years of age, and became a life-long member of First Baptist Church of Asheville. She was recognized by her church for her 75 plus years of membership in 2010. She taught Sunday School (Ruth, Lydia, and Dorcas classes) for 28 years.
She was president of the Naomi Schell Missionary Society. Dorothy was nominated, elected, and ordained as a deacon in 1993, and was honored in 2000 by being chosen as a life deacon.
Mrs. Dunn attended Lee H. Edwards High School (Asheville High), Biltmore Jr. College (UNCA), and graduated from the University of North Carolina. She lived and died as a "true blue Tar Heel".
Dorothy graduated from UNC in 1942. She first taught at Four Oaks High School near Chapel Hill. She was perhaps the first female to coach an all male varsity basketball team that first year. World War II had started, and there was a shortage of male teachers at that time. Her basketball team had a "good year" as she later recalled. She taught at Four Oaks for one year and then moved back home to Buncombe Co. where she taught and counseled for the next 35 years.
She received her Master's Degree in Guidance and Counseling from Western Carolina in 1967. She was the first guidance counselor at T.C. Roberson High School.
Mrs. Dunn (affectionately called "Maw Dunn") taught at Flat Creek, Valley Springs, and finished her career at T.C. Roberson High School.
She retired in 1983, but tried to stay in touch with her former students and enjoyed their successes. She cared deeply about her students, and was honored to have the guidance department at T.C. Roberson named after her.
Mrs. Dunn was honored in 1960 to become a member of Alpha Delta Kappa (an international organization for women educators). She was very active in both state and local levels of this organization. She served as State President of the North Carolina Alpha Epsilon Chapter and held numerous offices within the chapter. In 2010, she received the Golden Sister Award for 50 year membership and was chosen to the Hall of Fame Award in 2002.
Dorothy was also active in the Pilot Club, United Daughters of the Confederacy, NCAE, NCGA, and CTA.
Dorothy had many interests. She enjoyed flowers, music, cooking, and sports. She especially enjoyed Tar Heel basketball!! She also enjoyed painting, crafts, and travel. Following retirement, she joined the Lilian Carter Friendship Force and enjoyed trips to New Zealand, Brazil, and Argentina. She also traveled with the N.C. Center of International Understanding to Finland, Russia, and the Baltic Countries. She made trips on her own to Europe, The Holy Land, Mexico, Canada, Nova Scotia, Alaska, the Panama Canal, and Hawaii.
Dorothy is survived by two sons, Dr. Joe Dunn and his wife, Sandra Cooper Dunn, of Asheville, and Stanley Arthur (Mike) Dunn and his wife, Maxine Fore Dunn, of Westminster, SC. She was blessed by four grandchildren, Kristie Dunn Davidson and her husband, Brian, Brad C. Dunn, Michelle Dunn, and Michael Dunn and his wife, Jennifer. Dorothy also enjoyed seven great-grandchildren, Avery Dunn, Bryce, Bailee, and Brayden Davidson, and Cameron, Anneleise, and Ella Dunn.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Thursday at First Baptist Church of Asheville, with the Revs. Eddie Morgan and Leah Brown officiating. Interment will follow at Oak Grove Cemetery in Marion, NC.
Her family will receive friends from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. Thursday at the church, prior to the service.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First Baptist Church of Asheville, 5 Oak St., Asheville, NC 28801.
Groce Funeral Home on Patton Ave. is assisting the family.
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Mike and Joe, We are so saddened by the loss of your Mom…she was a great lady and was loved and will be remembered by us all. I know you are proud to be her sons.
Brian and Barbara (Moody) Weinkle
Mrs. Dunn was every students friend and her service to many children & students was truly the ultimate gift. She was such a wonderful southern lady.
A 2nd Mom to me these past few years, I will truly miss her.
You were the Pink Girl,
You were DD
and
You were Maw Dunn.
Heaven is certainly sweeter today because you arrived….
I love you More!!!!
Joe and Mike,I feel so blessed to have seen her a few weeks ago.She wasn’t happy about leaving Arbor Terrace.My Mother was there in 2004-Mrs. Dunn took her under her wing-had her sit at her table for meals.She was wonderful!I have such fond memories of her at Roberson.You boys were blessed to have a Mother who meant so much to so many.Love,Sharon
Mike and Joe…
Can’t remember when DD was not part of my extended family. She and my Dad went to school together. I had the privilege of having a ‘double dose’ of DD growing up. First as a student at TCR – which included working for her Guidance Office one period a day my senior year. Second was the two-year period I had the privilege of being a colleague while I taught back at TCR. They rarely ever made people like your Mom – and those of us that you shared her with over the years are blessed. Thanks be to God for the lovely gift of DD. She truly made the world and us a better place.
Mike and Joe…
Can’t remember when DD was not part of my extended family. She and my Dad went to school together. I had the privilege of having a ‘double dose’ of DD growing up. First as a student at TCR – which included working for her Guidance Office one period a day my senior year. Second was the two-year period I had the privilege of being a colleague while I taught back at TCR. They rarely ever made people like your Mom – and those of us that you shared her with over the years are blessed. Thanks be to God for the lovely gift of DD. She truly made the world and us a better place.
With Loving memories of my great childhood and how much she loved all of us NO matter what!!
will miss mrs.dunn alot. she was there for the students of tcr. she was so amazing. rest in peace mrs.dunn.
will miss mrs.dunn alot. she was there for the students of tcr. she was so amazing. rest in peace mrs.dunn.
will miss mrs.dunn alot. she was there for the students of tcr. she was so amazing. rest in peace mrs.dunn.
Mrs. Dunn was such a wonderful help and counselor to me as I struggled with college decisions. She was always so positive and uplifting to me. I feel blessed to have been at TCR when she was there. Just nobody like her.
Dear Joe, Mike and the rest of the Dunn family:
Words are hard to come by at this moment. I want all of you to know that you were blessed to have a great Mom,Grandmother,and a Great-Grandmother like Mrs. Dunn.
She was so good at helping young people in their struggle to get through high school. Her legacy will live on for generations to come.
I have lost a very dear friend.
Please know that all of you will be in our thoughts and prayers.
We shall miss her very much.
Tommy and Jessie Koontz
Dorothy has helped guide the world. I posted this on FB. She encouraged me 2 enter an art contest 4 scholarship 2 commercial art school. She reached N2 her own pocket 2 pay 4 matting of a piece. I won the scholarship. Recently while visiting her I gave her an ounce of pure silver. What an investor she has proven 2B! A few months B4 this visit I learned where she was living & sent her a tube stuffed full of art prints I had done. I sent a 3 page letter. She wanted 2 read it herself so she used her special camera/tv 2 read the letter & look @ the art work. I told her I’d come visit her. That day @ the assisted living place where she had been they knew who I was because of her. When I found her @ Flecher’s she was alone N her room. That was a priceless time. I’ll remember her white hair, big glasses & her kindness. As U know she couldn’t see straight forward she relied on her side vision. She looked @ me sideways blinked her eyes & said, ‘I’m making eyes @ U!’ What a treasure!
The light here on earth has dimmed but the heavens seem a brighter Carolina Blue.
~Polly Kiser
~Ann K. & Ron Fagan
I belive she was the first adult that made since to me. She was a positive part of my young life.
Class of 67
Joe and Mike I have fond memories of when I rode from West Asheville to Valley Springs when I was in the third grade with your mother. She was a very good lady. God Bless you and your families. Anthony Boone
To the Whole Dunn family…you have been very blessed to have had Mrs Dunn in your life…as ALL of us from TCR who’s ‘life path’ was guided by her…She was a wonderful lady…Thank you for sharing her with us. God Bless you All!
To the Whole Dunn family…you have been very blessed to have had Mrs Dunn in your life…as ALL of us from TCR who’s ‘life path’ was guided by her…She was a wonderful lady…Thank you for sharing her with us. God Bless you All!
Mrs. Dunn was a wonderful person and a true lady but with just a little spunk.
To the Dunn family,
We should all have such a legacy as Mrs. Dunn leaves!
She was a legend to TCR folks, and deservedly so, not to mention her wise and kindly influence on family, friends, church and community.
One life touches so many others, and hers did so for our good. She’ll be missed, and not forgotten.
Joe, Mike, and the Dunn Family,
‘Maw Dunn’ was a true friend and gracious lady who so many, many Roberson students were blessed to know. Patience, humor, wit, and wisdom were just part of her daily presence at Roberson.
The lessons of life so generously shared by Mrs. Dunn are priceless treasures that we honor her with today.
May each of you find great strength and hope in knowing that her memory will always be woven in the hearts of Roberson students.
With greatest respect and love,
Ramona Henderson Bryson
Class of 1967
Mile and Joe Mrs Dunn was wonderful and an inspiration for a lot of us. You know how fortunate you were to have her. A great lady.
Joe and Family What a lovely and gracious lady.Although I didn’t heed her advise while at TCR,I went back years later to speak with her and oh what a visit. No matter how hectic her day,she made time for you. I pray for God’s peace for your family at this time
I cannot find the appropriate words to express the valuable advice and guidance that Maw Dunn gave to myself, sister and brother throughout our years at TCR. The last time I saw her was at a cookout for TCR friends, and I was privileged to help her fix her plate of food. She said to me, ‘You are so sweet to do this for me, Regina. I must have raised you right!’. I wish I could come upo to her funeral to say my proper goodbyes. Someone please tell her how much I cared about her.
Dr. Dunn. Your mother insisted on me going to A-B Tech. I am so grateful she did. She touched many, many lives in such a positive way. I pray God will give you and your family a peace that passeth all understanding during this difficult time.
With Deepest Sympathy.
Betty Ponder Class of ’69
Dear Joe and Sandra,
I am grateful to be one of the thousands of students whose lives were blessed and made richer by having been lovingly taught by Dorothy Dunn. I always smile when I think of her amazement that those of us in her senior English class at Valley Springs in 1960 did NOT have the complete works of Shakespeare in our homes!! Eventually I did own those coveted works, and she was my motivation to actually read them!
‘Maw’ Dunn kept up with me through the years, sending encouraging notes, and always proud of any accomplishments. I had the supreme joy of teaching her granddaughter, Kristie Dunn – what a blessing! I tried to remember all that your mother taught me, by example, about being a caring teacher.
May you be comforted by knowing that your mother made such a positive difference in the lives of so many of us over the years. She was deeply loved and respected.
Sending you love and prayers.
Joe and Sandra,
I am very sorry to learn of your family’s loss. My thoughts and prayers for comfort during these days are with and for you.
I did not know Mrs. Dunn but I have heard much about her as a wonderful teacher and inspiration to those she taught. I think she did an excellent job with her son too.
God Bless each of you and your entire family,
Stephen G Duncan
Joe and family , our thoughts and prayers are with you at this difficult time. Peace be with you, God bless.
The Caudle family:
Faye, Tom, Dave, and Deborah
Dear Joe, Sandra and family,
My sincere sympathy to you all during this time of the loss of your Mother and Grandmother.
She was such an inspiration to so many people.
I know it is encouraging to know she was loved and respected by so many people whose lives she touched.
My thoughts and prayers are with you all during this time of loss.
Sincerely
Myra C. Ramsey
Asheville, NC
To the Dunn Family: May God be with you in this time of loss. I have so many memories of Mrs. Dunn. Like the year that I graduated from TCR, and I had gotten married before graduation in June and she gave me so much needed advice. She gave it lovingly and how I loved her for all her advice and her friendship that she shared with so many of her students. I will truly miss her. May God be with your families and I know you will miss her deeply. Joyce Barnwell Austin Class of 1968.
Joe and Mike,
Mrs. Dunn was such a grcious and caring lady. We were so fortunate to have teachers of her caliber during our years at Valley Springs.
She had such an influence on so many lives and will be so greatly missed. We are all the better in having known her.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your families.
joe & mike
What fond memories I have of my youth and being at your house almost daily. And the one who watched over us all was your mom.
A great lady indeed !
Your friend
Leslie
Maw Dunn was a great teacher and my last year at Valley Springs was a pleasure to go to school with the help of Maw. She was a very sweet person. God bless you.
What a loss; WHAT a LADY. Just one very small part of the host of people who love Miss Dorothy. It’s such a joy to have had the pleasure of being part of her care at Arbor Terrace and visiting at Flechers. In our conversations, she was so encouraging with extremely positive things to say. She loved her church and even more importantly, she loved her family and her Lord. May God be with you, her precious family. We can all smile, knowing that one day we can see her again, pain free, sad free and set free from any and everything that hurts.
Love and prayers, Jeanette
Mrs. Dunn was an amazing woman. She was my guidance counselor and my friend. I always knew were to turn when things did not go as expected. She made quite a impression on my life. After graduating in 1968, we still remained friends and I visited in her home often. I even began to do some sewing and alterations for her because she needed someone. She was and will remain to be an important part of my life. God please watch over her family and keep them close as she would have wanted…
I have many fond memories of your mother, ‘Maw Dunn’ as a teacher and as a co-worker!
She is the reason I found the courage to apply for and to go to college. When she said, ‘anyone can go to college if they are willing to work hard’, I believed her. What a Great teacher, filled with life and fun for all she taught. She will truly be missed and remembered. Carole Ball
I have many fond memories of your mother, ‘Maw Dunn’ as a teacher and as a co-worker!
She is the reason I found the courage to apply for and to go to college. When she said, ‘anyone can go to college if they are willing to work hard’, I believed her. What a Great teacher, filled with life and fun for all she taught. She will truly be missed and remembered. Carole Ball
Dot was an outstanding educator, friend to many and a positive role model who shaped many young lives. My sympathy is with you.
Joe, Mike, and family,
We are sorry that we were not able to attend the service. Mrs. Dunn was a remarkable teacher and friend. She taught all of us how to live while making life fun. She will be truly missed.
Sincerely,
Buddy & Carolyn Baldwin
Dr. Dunn and Family,
Dot and I met through our membership in PIlot International. I always admired her for her leadership, her friendship and her wonderful positive outlook. She touched the lives of so many friends and former students. And of course I always enjoyed our conversations about our beloved Tar Heel basketball teams! Please know that my thoughts and prayers are with you at this time.
Joe,Mike and Family
With heartfelt and deepest sympathy in the loss of a true humanitarian.
Mrs.Dunn was an encourager and positve influence in my life. Iloved her for being herself and knew she was genuine in her actions and words.
May God give you peace and rest at this difficult time.
With Love and Sympathy
Nancy Israel Jervis
1960 VSHS
Joe,Mike and Family
With heartfelt and deepest sympathy in the loss of a true humanitarian.
Mrs.Dunn was an encourager and positve influence in my life. Iloved her for being herself and knew she was genuine in her actions and words.
May God give you peace and rest at this difficult time.
With Love and Sympathy
Nancy Israel Jervis
1960 VSHS
What can I say that hasn’t already been said over and over? She is a part of my wonderful memories of Roberson High. God bless her family that she loved so much and God bless the Tarheels that she enjoyed so much.
Our deepest sympathy to the Dunn family! I apologize, didn’t realized Mrs. Dunn had passed away until after the funeral. She lived a incredible life and she she did so much for our community and schools. May the family have the peace that passes all understanding at this difficult time! All of our love and best wishes to you!
Joe and Sandra,
Emelie and I are so sorry to learn of your Mother’s passing. My, you had her for a long time. Just know that you and your extended family are in our thoughts and prayers during your time of sorrow. Cherish the memories.
Love to all,
Ronnie and Emelie
Mrs Dunn, thank you for the kindness you showed to me when I attended Flat Creek High School.You purchased my fabric to make my cheer leading outfit, because I could not afford it I will always remember that precious smile.May God bless you as you make your journey into heaven.Nellie Fisher Parham.
Dot was a dear cousin who attended our Davenport Family Reunions. Her father was a brother to my grandfather, Samuel Wesley
Davenport. Dot was also a friend through her sorority sisters and dear to me.
Jean Hollingsworth
Rest in Peace until the Rapture of His saints!
My dearest Aunt Dorothy, I love you and I will miss you.
Your loving niece,
Louise
Joe, So sorry to hear of your loss. She was an exceptional lady. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
Mrs. Dunn will always be fondly remembered. A super special lady who made a difference in many lives!
Joe & Family,
My deepest sympathy to your family.
Your Mother was my high school English teacher at Valley Springs.
A very loving and caring Lady.
My thoughts and prayers are with all.
Anne Morgan
Aunt Dorothy’s character and faith was evident whenever I had a conversation with her. She was encouraging and positive. She never let an opportunity go buy that she didn’t talk about her faith and what it ment to her. Whenever we talked, I was left feeling ‘I’m sure glad we had that converation’. She was an amazing woman and had a positive impact on everyone she met.
I went to TCR where Mrs. Dunn was my counselor; I taught at TCR where she was my colleague (if I may be presumptuous!). Her love for me as well as the influence she had on my life ranks her in the Top 10 of MY BOOK ! Thank God for the life and ministry of Dot Dunn !