James Ralph Dunn, Jr ’43

James Ralph Dunn, Jr ’43, of Cary, N.C., died July 9. He was born in Sumter, S.C., on Nov. 19, 1923, to Ann Nash Dunn and Dr. James Ralph Dunn, Sr. Dunn was the eldest of four children and was preceded in death by his youngest brother, William Dunn. He received his bachelor’s from Davidson in 1944, received his master’s in physiology at Emory University, completed medical school and began his residency at Johns Hopkins, finished his residency and fellowship in general and thoracic surgery at Baylor with Drs. Denton Cooley and Michael DeBakey. Dunn was involved in World War II by driving a tank called the “Dixie Doughnut” into Pilsen, Czechoslovakia, and liberating the town along with the 16th Armored Infantry Division in May 1945. In 1966, he took time out from a busy surgical practice to volunteer to serve injured and sick Vietnamese civilians in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho. Later, he achieved the rank of colonel after serving in the Army, the Army National Guard, and the Air Force. He spent his working career as a general and thoracic surgeon in private practice in Tarboro, N.C., and Laurinburg, N.C. In 1981, he rejoined the military to serve as a surgeon in the Air Force. He finished his surgical career as attending surgeon at the Dorothea Dix Hospital in Raleigh, N.C. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, reading, playing the clarinet, making people laugh, and traveling. He is survived by his wife, Gail Bailey Dunn, 109 Miss Georgia Ct., Cary, NC 27511; and her two children, Jennifer Bailey Campbell and Joy Bailey Broughton (Paul). Dunn was preceded in death by his eldest son, James Ralph Dunn III. He is survived by his remaining four children (born to Louise Lofgren Dunn), John Dunn ’76 (Jo), Mike Dunn (Robin), Laurie Dunn ’77 (Crawford Crenshaw ’76), and Scott Dunn (Rebecca). He is also survived by his brother, Shepard Nash Dunn ’48 (Jenny), and sister, Alice Lightsey (Tann), and a special niece, Elaine D. Peake. He has 11 grandchildren and numerous other nieces and nephews.