Cletus M. Dunn

Cletus M. Dunn December 8, 1912-December 13, 2010 Waterford- Cletus Moncena Dunn, 98, formerly of Rope Ferry Road, passed away Monday, December 13, 2010 at Atria Crossroads Place. He was a loving father, grandfather and husband and will be greatly missed.He was born December 8, 1912 in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, the son of the late Moncena and Elizabeth (Weiland) Dunn. As an engineer at the Naval Underwater Sound Laboratory with the National Research Defense Committee's Columbia University Project, and due to his strong interest in radio engineering, he was selected in 1945 to lead a project for the Bureau of Ships. He became the head of radio communication research at the Sound Lab. This led to transforming the submarine into a war ship capable of coordinating with both aircraft and the fleet at anytime, anywhere. Dunn established the first lab on Fisher's Island. In 1950, he directed the construction of an underground concrete chamber that simulated the radio room of a sub. Nicknamed "Dunn's Dungeon," it was here that the antenna system and communication system for USS Sea Wolf, the first integrated radio sub and the second atomic sub ever built, was installed by the Sound Lab and tested in Dunn's Dungeon. In his 30 year career at the Sound Lab and under his leadership, the scope and scale of the overall submarine radio effort grew. He was instrumental in developing the ELF system for submarine communications that allowed the sub to communicate without surfacing. During his tenure he developed technologies that resulted in patents for the US Navy and many important contributions were made by his staff to all aspects of submarine radio communication. Cletus was predeceased by his wife, Violet (Hoover) Dunn, whom he married on June 27, 1942 in Champagne, Illinois. He was a lifelong ham radio operator with the call sign W1DIT, who began communicating with people all over the world by ham radio equipment that he built on his own as a teenager and continued into his 90s. He enjoyed woodworking, making furniture and other trinkets for family and friends. He is survived by his son, Gregory and his wife, Janine of Gales Ferry, CT; a daughter, Dr. Rosemary Ginzberg and her husband, Michael of Hockessin, Delaware; and four grandchildren, Barbara Dunn, Ken Dunn, Matthew Ginzberg and David Ginzberg. He was predeceased by two sisters, Dorothy and Anita Dunn and two half brothers, Wendell and Everett Dunn. The family will receive relatives and friends on Friday, December 17th at the Thomas L. Neilan & Sons Funeral Home, 12 Ocean Avenue, New London from 6 to 8 PM. The funeral procession will assemble on Saturday, 9:15 AM at the funeral home, and proceed to St. Paul Church, Rope Ferry Rd, Waterford for a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 AM Burial will follow in St. Mary Cemetery, Jefferson Avenue, New London. Online guestbook may be signed at www.neilanfuneralhome.com. Donations in his memory may be made to Alzheimer's Association, 2075 Silas Deane Highway, Rocky Hill, CT 06067