Barbara Dunn Fleming

1926 - 2017

Barbara Baxter Dunn Fleming, 90, passed away peacefully on January 20, 2017 after a long battle with dementia. She was born on October 24, 1926 in Newtown, CT. After graduating as one of only 14 students from Newtown High in 1944, she worked her way through her beloved University of Connecticut while on the basketball team, graduating in 1948 with a physical education degree. She was a second-grade teacher at the Silver Lane School in East Hartford for several years prior to starting her family. In 1963, she was elected to the East Hartford town council as the sole Republican. In 1966, she and her husband Bill Dunn knocked on every door in the south end of East Hartford and won the 17th Legislative District, despite Republicans being outnumbered 3 to 1 by Democrats. She won re-election in 1968 and then unsuccessfully ran for the Secretary of the State office in 1970. She was named as Commissioner of Consumer Protection in 1971, the first woman ever to serve as a Commissioner in the state. In this capacity, she was also the Boxing Commissioner, being the first woman ever to hold this position in the country. She took great joy in this role, landing her a spot on the TV show, What's My Line. During this time, she also led a federal committee, working directly with President Nixon on healthcare issues. From 1974 to her retirement, she was the VP of sales for Pepsi in Windsor, Director of Women Development for the Small Business Administration in Washington, DC, Director of Women and Minority development for Aetna in Hartford, and fundraiser for the Long Lane School in Middletown. In 1996, she married George Fleming and spent the next 18 years enjoying the view of Long Island Sound from their home in Westbrook, CT. She was the former Secretary of the UCONN Alumni Association and was one of only two people to win both the Distinguished Alumni award and Alumni Service award from UCONN. She loved to read and was passionate about both the Men's and Women's UCONN basketball teams. She had a green thumb and completed the master gardener program at UCONN. She was pre-deceased by her parents, Bill and Dorthea Baxter of Newtown, CT, son Peter, and husband George Fleming. She is survived by her sister Nancy Stryeski of Phillipsburg, NJ, daughter Jody Ruszczyk of Glastonbury, daughter Kim Shepard and her husband Dave Shepard of South Windsor, and her son Scott and his wife Anita Potter of Rocky Hill. She is also survived by six grandchildren - Mark Ruszczyk, Debbie Ruszczyk Heiss, Kelly Shepard Lee, Jennifer Shepard Thibodeau, Taryn Dunn, and Tyler Dunn - and by three great grandchildren, Summer and Henry Ruszczyk, and Madelynn Heiss. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made "In memory of Barbara Dunn Fleming" to The UConn Foundation, Inc., 2390 Alumni Drive, Unit 3206, Storrs, CT 06269, or at foundation.uconn.edu/memorial-honorary-gifts. Per her wishes, she is being cremated. A private graveside service will be held in her honor this spring.