Glen Curtis Dunham

1956 - 2022

Glen Curtis Dunham was born November 3, 1956 in Grand Forks, North Dakota to parents Mary Jean (Jeanie) and Vern K. Dunham. Glen was the second oldest, with older sister Dawn and younger brothers Brian and Leon. Glen's father worked as Senior Vice President, Revenue Requirements and their family lived in Grand Forks, North Dakota; Portland, Oregon; Redding, California; Orangeville, Illinois; and Nahcotta, Washington.

Glen Dunham attended Ilwaco High School from 1972-1974. Equally at home building septic installations as designing crab traps, Glen spent his high school years using his mechanical aptitude and intense work ethic to excel at shellfish jobs in the Willapa Bay, including clam digging and oyster picking. He returned to this work at intervals to save money to pay for college at Pacific Lutheran University, and in 1976 Glen worked on his Uncle Irvin's wheat and soybean farm. Glen married Cheryl Daehlin in July 1979 and the couple continued to live in Olympia while Glen finished college. Glen graduated in 1980, and PLU's outdoor graduation seared a memorable image on Glen's mind: the cloud of the second eruption of Mt. St Helens on the horizon.

Boasting both a Bachelor of Science in Physics and a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry, Glen's polymathic diversity made him versatile in a way not always seen in science. While earning his Master's Degree in Materials Science Engineering at Washington State University (1980-83), he worked in a lab at the WSU Joint Center for Research in Richland, Washington, pushing solar energy development. In 1984, he pivoted to Battelle Pacific Northwest National Labs (PNNL) where he served as Lab consultant to the architects designing and building the new Environmental and Molecular Sciences Lab (EMSL) at PNNL. Glen and Cheryl had four children: Kari, Erik, Isak, and Joshua while living in Tri-Cities, WA. The couple divorced in 1996.

Glen married Gloria Quintero in July 1998, and the couple made their home in Kennewick, Washington for 10 years. Glen and Gloria adopted children Selena, Daniel, and Jason. During this time, Glen and Gloria also fostered a number of children and loved deeply with open arms. Not solely a scientist, but also a carpenter and farmer, Glen with the help of Gloria and all his children built an impressive three-story log house in Badger Canyon in Kennewick, WA.

Glen and Gloria moved to Maryland in 2008 where they continued to build, farm, and raise sheep. In Maryland, Glen worked for both Ideal Innovations Inc. and Jiedo on research and development in support of national security. Glen's career came to its resolution as a high school physics teacher at Global Vision Christian School in Pennsylvania, which like all his other work, gave him great satisfaction. Glen delighted in working with his students. Glen and Gloria made their church home at the Deaf Fellowship at the Church of the Brethren in Frederick, and Glen served by helping with Audio/Visuals for Sunday mornings and being on call to do house and appliance repairs for church members.

To his children, he was Dad, mentor, and teacher. Slow to speak but quick to act, he showed his love through service: always available to his kids to help with school projects, read books, play basketball, attend concerts, attend art shows, guide science competitions, and teach mechanical and carpentry skills. He desired for his children to live life fully and instilled in them curiosity, creativity, and the appreciation of hard work. Glen and Gloria's farm, Dancing Lamb Farm, was a source of true joy to him. He enjoyed the quietness of farm life, and thrived as he worked the land and cared for his sheep. Having the heart of a shepherd and the soul of an artist, Glen was carpenter, farmer, mechanic, physicist, poet, shepherd, husband, father, son, brother, friend.

Glen died on April 19, 2022 after a short battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his family. Glen is survived by his wife, Gloria, children, Kari, Erik (Ashley), Isak (Megan), Joshua, Selena (Nik), Daniel (Marina), Jason (Maria), sister, Dawn (Dan), brothers, Brian (Debbie), Leon (Mary), step-mother, Margaret, numerous nieces & nephews and seven grandchildren. Glen was preceded in death by his father, Vern Dunham, and mother, Jeanie Dunham.