Ex-councilman Bob Dunn, 87, served 10 years
One of nine council members elected in 1969 to usher in a new form of county government, Mr. Dunn was known for his collaborative working style. He served on the council until 1979, when he decided not to run for re-election.
Mr. Dunn died Saturday (Aug. 21) at a local hospital after a brief illness.
A Republican, he and his Democratic colleague Bernice Stern built a coalition credited with reforming the county's political patronage system, providing legal defense for indigent criminal defendants and preserving endangered farmland.
A 1979 Seattle Times article called the collaboration between Dunn and Stern "The Bernice and Bob Show."
Mr. Dunn sponsored an ordinance that would have put before voters a charter amendment to make the County Council nonpartisan. The proposal fell one vote short on the nine-member council, which was subsequently expanded to 13 members.
His former council colleague Paul Barden said he was "as close to a nonpartisan in actions and in conduct of his office as anyone I had ever known."
Born May 18, 1917, in Bowling Green, Ohio, Robert Bridgeman Dunn graduated from the University of Michigan Law School and married his high-school sweetheart, Ruth Hartman.
In 1940, the couple moved to Seattle, where Mr. Dunn practiced law briefly and went on to operate a car dealership, renovate the Arctic Building and other downtown landmarks and operate the Hyak ski resort.
The Seattle Times reported in 1980 that when Hyak Skiing went bankrupt, Mr. Dunn and the other principal owners used their personal assets to pay many of the corporation's debts.
Mr. Dunn is widely remembered as one of the most gentle and sometimes self-effacing souls to walk the halls of power during his 11 years in public office. Former County Councilwoman Lois North called him "a true gentleman."
"He was one of the nicest people who ever served in public office," said Scott Blair, who succeeded him in representing Northeast Seattle and parts of the unincorporated county. "Everybody liked Bob. ... I think what he brought to the council was civility and an ability to deal and work with everyone."
Mr. Dunn once described himself as "a shy, low-profile sort of guy who tends to look for soft answers when others get excited or upset."
Former Gov. John Spellman, who is also a former county executive, recalled that Mr. Dunn held prayer meetings with the staff members of his car dealership each morning and later, as a County Councilman and chairman, organized a prayer group attended by Spellman, other county officials and judges.
"I was very impressed by him," Spellman said. "He had a wonderful disposition. He might not always go along with everybody, but he was never offensive about it."
Mr. Dunn, an avid fan of opera and orchestral music, supported a range of charitable and civic organizations — and quietly solicited friends to help those groups. A one-time director of the Metropolitan YMCA, he swam at the "Y" every morning until his health declined recently.
"People would joke about getting a call from Bob," said his brother, Joseph Dunn. "They would say, 'I wonder what wonderful fund he wants me to contribute to.' He always worked behind the scenes."
Besides his wife, Ruth, and brother Joseph, Mr. Dunn is survived by four children, Robert Dunn of Seattle, Michael Dunn of Steilacoom, Pierce County, Betty Dunn of Seattle and Carolyn Dunn Piraino of Oakland, Calif.; six grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
At Mr. Dunn's request, no services are planned. The family requests that donations be sent to The Seattle Foundation or the Rotary Club of Seattle.
Keith Ervin: 206-464-2105 or kervin@seattletimes.com