Dennis Lee Dunn

Dennis Lee Dunn passed away on Monday, July 15, 2024, at his home in Healdsburg, California at the age of 64, just two days short of his 65th birthday. On July 17, 1959 he was born to Elbert (Al) and Kathleen (Kathy) Dunn in Royal Oak, Michigan. He lived in Royal Oak and Farmington, Michigan, until the age of five when the family moved to Mexico City and, a year later to Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Dennis attended elementary and secondary school at Escola Graduada de Sao Paulo, Brazil. He has many friends from those school years and maintained those connections throughout his life. Numerous friends from that time have reached out to our family, sharing their condolences and fond memories of Dennis

He studied International Trade and Marketing at Eastern Michigan University, but his true passion lay in the culinary arts. Dennis earned a Certificate of Culinary Arts from Sullivan University in Louisville, Kentucky. After moving to Sonoma County in 1991, he worked as a pastry and sous chef at various restaurants including Pasta Nostra, Marconi Conference Center, Equus and Caprice in Marin County. He found his true calling at Sonoma State University, where he cooked and also supervised students working in the dorm food service. As a Line Cook II and supervisor, Dennis made a significant impact and will always be remembered as one of the kindest people on the planet.

Dennis retired from Sonoma State University in 2013 and moved in with his mother, where he cooked and cared for her until 2020, when he relocated to Healdsburg.

Dennis was talented in art, music, and food preparation. Despite facing many challenges in his life, his spirit always shone through.

Dennis is preceded in death by his father, Al, and mother, Kathy Dunn. He is also predeceased by his brother, Thomas; his sister-in-law, Alison Dunn; and his nephew, Taylor Dunn.

He is survived and fondly remembered by his sister, Deborah and her husband, Bill Stewart. Dennis is also survived by four nephews: Casey and his wife, Rebecca, and their children, Braden, and Kylie; Paul and his wife, Erika, and their daughter, Evelyn; and Brennan and Weston Dunn. Additionally, he is survived by an extended family that includes his aunt, Dolores Kelly, and 18 cousins (and their families) spread across nine different states in the U.S.

A private graveside interment of Dennis's ashes will be held at a later date at Shiloh Cemetery in Windsor, California. In lieu of flowers, contributions in honor of Dennis's memory may be made to his favorite charity, Voice for the Needy, or to a charity of your choice.