Mary Ann Dunn

Mary Ann Dunn, 70, of Santa Clara, CA, passed away from cancer on February 9th, 2025, peacefully in her home with her beloved dog, Shiva, by her side.

Born on October 2nd, 1954 in Los Angeles, CA, Mary Ann was the youngest child of Marie Dunn, and sister to Lynn, Mark, and Tim Dunn. She grew up in Santa Clara, California and after many years away, she returned for the final years of her life.

Mary Ann attended Chico State University, graduating in 1977, and spent a memorable year studying abroad in Granada, Spain. After college, she began a career in retail that would take her across the country, including stops in Hawaii, California, Michigan, and New York. Though she spent decades working in the fragrance and cosmetics industry, it was rare to see Mary Ann wearing makeup herself. She brought creativity and vision to her work in marketing and sales, and her dedication was rewarded when a company she helped grow eventually went public.

Mary Ann had a zest for life - whether camping in her RV, kayaking, exploring the streets of New York City, traveling the world, practicing yoga in the wild, or enjoying a fabulous meal out - she embraced it all. She had a gift for fitting in wherever she landed, yet she never stopped being completely and authentically herself. She talked to everyone and made friends easily, knowing everyone’s name in her neighborhood, chatting it up with a stranger in line at the store, and making fast friends in yoga class.

She loved to travel, and did most of it with her mom, as well as her brothers and their families. She safaried in Africa, went to the temples in Cambodia, paraglided in Switzerland, high tea’d in England, went on yoga retreats around the world, and spent summers at the family beach house in Santa Cruz, or later, at her summer home in East Hampton.

Mary Ann was never without a project. She loved a good remodel or a party to plan in her spare time. In retirement, she dedicated her time and energy working with an NYC-based non-profit organization, Restore, to further their commitment to help women create a new life after being trafficked.

Those who knew her will remember her love of laughter, her curiosity of people and places, her thoughtfulness, her “more the merrier” attitude, and her deep love for her family and friends.

She is survived by her brother Mark, her nieces Alison, Emily, and Caitlin, her nephews Joseph, and Conor, her grand-nieces and nephews, and her dear friends. She was preceded in death by her brother Tim, and her mom, Marie.

She will be deeply missed by those that loved her, and her charitable legacy will live on through The AMA Dunn Foundation (amadunn.org), which serves to empower women and youth through freedom and education.

If you wish to honor her, she’d want you to donate to your favorite charity of choice, or hers at Restorenyc.org.