Obituary of Barbara W Dunn

Barbara Wilson Dunn

1929 - 2024

 Barbara Regina Wilson was born February 7, 1929, to Emma (Phillips) & Robert Radeau, both of whom passed away very early in her life. Barbara was adopted by her maternal aunt & uncle, Wallie P. and Eugene D. Wilson. Since Wallie was busy with her own interests, Barbara (nicknamed “Bobby”) always said she was raised by her older adoptive brothers–John and Francis. Early on, Bobby spent idyllic summers at the family cottage on Oneida Lake with her cousin Delores (“Pete”) Dryer, where the two were inseparable. 

 With what would become a lifelong passion for music, Barbara learned to play the accordion at the age of 7 (when she could barely lift or see over the instrument) and later took up the piano. A lifelong member of St. Peter’s parish, she learned to play the pipe organ there and eventually became the church organist. 

 After graduating from St. Aloysius Academy in 1947, she worked at Rome Manufacturing, where she made several lifelong friends. 

 In 1953 she married William F. Dunn. While raising their first two children, Barbara employed her cleverness: She started breeding Siamese cats and learned to reupholster furniture. She canned elderberries and watermelon pickles and made dandelion wine and aged fruitcakes. She sewed her children’s clothes and knitted them sweaters. She took in odd typing jobs, pecking them out on her manual typewriter. She became an expert pie maker. 

 With the birth of their third daughter, Barbara and Bill bought the large, historic house at the back of Bellamy Park in 1962. Over the course of the next six decades, they undertook ongoing renovations with an eye for maintaining the home’s original style. During that time, Barbara held a series of jobs. She worked at St. Peter’s School cafeteria, stocked cards in area stores for American Greetings, and worked for a medical billing service. She eventually spent ten years at, and retired from, Rome Savings Bank in downtown Rome. 

 In her alleged retirement, Barbara at last found work she truly enjoyed. She earned her real estate appraiser’s license, traveling across central New York conducting appraisals and became a licensed real estate broker. 

 Barbara was predeceased by her devoted husband of 54 years, William F. Dunn, and her brothers John Lanz, Francis Wilson and John Wilson. Barbara is survived by her 3 daughters and 2 sons-in-law, Barbara Shaw, Eileen Dunn & Patrick Gaudet, and Maureen & Matthew Murphy; her grandchildren Alana & Arden Shaw, Erik Dunn-Gaudet, and Tara & Liam Murphy; 1 great-grandchild, Ayla. 

 The family extends their heartfelt thanks to the staff at The Pines Skilled Nursing Facility in Utica for their meticulous care, kindness and professionalism.

 A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday August 27, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church, 200 N. James Street, Rome, NY, with the Rev. Sean P. O’Brien officiating. There are no calling hours. Burial will be in St. Peter’s Cemetery.

 In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Humane Society of Rome online at https://humanesocietyrome.com/memorial-donation.

 Services are entrusted to Strong-Burns & Sprock Funeral Home, 7751 Merrick Rd. Rome, N.Y.