Orville Phillip Dunn
1946 - 2015
Orville Phillip Dunn
1946 - 2015
Obituary
Guest Book
BORN
1946
DIED
2015
Orville Dunn Obituary
Mr. Orville Phillip “O.P.” Dunn, age 68 of Locust Grove, Georgia passed away May 1, 2015. He was born in Paris, Tennessee to the late Oce and Ora Earle Howe Dunn. He was preceded in death by a brother, Buddy Dunn. Phillip faithfully served his country in the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War. He retired after 30 years with AT&T and enjoyed fishing, hunting, NASCAR and motorcycles. Survivors include his wife of 41 years, Loretta Collins Dunn of Locust Grove; sister, Oleada (Bill) Warden of Rydal; numerous nieces, nephews, brothers and sisters in law. Funeral services will be conducted Tuesday, May 5, 2015 at 6:00 pm from the Pristine Chapel, 7541 Mount Zion Road, Jonesboro, Georgia 30236. Friends may visit one hour prior to the service. In lieu of flowers, contributions are asked to be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital or the Wounded Warrior Project in memory of Phillip. Haisten Funeral Home of McDonough, www.haistenfunerals.com.
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Beth Guerin
May 7, 2015
Phillip & Loretta adopted me and I am forever grateful. I experienced camping, fishing and seeing the ocean for the first time by being part of their family adventures. I learned that Mama's don't let your children grow up to be cowboys was an official road trip song that still makes long trips go by with a smile. Holiday traditions started at their home. I am truly blessed and my life is so much richer having known Phillip Dunn. My memories of Phillip will always be ones of laughter, kindness and enjoying life. He was an amazing story teller and an incredible photographer. The photos he took at my wedding are some of the best portraits I have ever seen. Thank you Phillip for being you; I love you and you will live strong in my heart. I miss the entire family and want you all to know that I am sending you my love and light. I hope to reconnect and you're welcome to visit me in Savannah anytime. Love always, Beth Buckner
May 6, 2015
Oleada, please know that my family joins me in mourning Phillip. Although I did not know him, you always spoke so lovingly about him that I felt I did. He will be sorely missed by all of you. You will think of him often when you are doing or hearing something. Hold him in your heart. Love, Nancy
Tiffany Durmire
May 5, 2015
O. P. was a sweet, loving person. Always had a smile on his face. He always knew how to put a smile on others, too. He will always be remembered as the wonderful person he was. Heaven has gained another angel. You will never be forgotten, my friend. May you R. I. P
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Bridgette Worst
May 5, 2015
Loretta, I am so very sorry for your loss. Phillip was a wonderful man who always seemed to bring joy to a room. It was evident his family meant the world to him. I know Zachary and Vanessa thought he was that awesome fun uncle to get into trouble with! We have all lost a very special kind person. I will always think of him when I make pickles. I hope your sweet memories carry you and your family through. Please let me know if there is anything I can do and I hope to see you soon. God Bless and praying for peace for you and yours. Bridgette
Ashley Carver
May 5, 2015
I loved when Uncle Phillip visited up here. He would always come with presents and they were mostly NASCAR related. One of the best presents he got my sister and I was a brick in Olympic park. It is one of the neatest thing to be able to say my name is there.
He had so many stories to share. Stories of growing up, working for the telephone company and life in general.
Staying up late just talking. I would try to stay awake with everyone else and sometimes it did and other times it didn't work out.
Just being around Uncle Phillip was great. He was never up tight or mean. He would just laugh that distinguished laugh he had at everything.
Vanessa Hanvey
May 5, 2015
Phillip has always been a part of my life, and I still haven't accepted he is gone. He is in all my favorite memories, from crabbing at Jekyll Island to playing at Burger King (after he, Zach, Bristol, and I ate at McDonalds). It doesn't seem real that there will be no new memories to make together, and I will miss Uncle Phillip during every family gathering, trip to a aeronautics museum, and when I need advice about growing vegetables in the spring.
Linda Collins
May 4, 2015
Phillip, my brother-in-law, was always the guy who would sit at the kids table and be the biggest kid there. Phillip would be in the middle just a laughing. You can tell by all of the writings that he was a very special individual that was loved by all who came in contact with him. He will surely be
missed. Fly high my friend....
Rennie
May 4, 2015
Bless his whole family and friends, and please let them know they are in our prayers here in Ky. Rennie
Dodie Patterson
May 4, 2015
Phillip Dunn is my brother-in-law, and I am his sweetest #1 sister-in-law. Just wanted to clarify this point since there seems to be some confusion!
I want to say Thank You for all he did for me and with my children when I was not there.
Phillip always was full of foolishness and kindness. He and Loretta made a lot of adventurous times for our family, from cook-outs to camping to racing trips and holidays. He touched my life and always made me feel good about myself.
For the past couple of years, I would pray for him and tell him I had hired him an angel while he was trying to get well. He made a little comeback in December and January and then had a setback. He told me, "Dodie you are going to have to find me another angel, this one isn't doing so good." (I hired several more)
Pat and I would pray for him to get well, and on May 1, God gave me my answer. He healed my sweet and funny brother-in-law. See you on the other side Phillip. Love Dodie and Pat
Rachel Ward Smith
May 4, 2015
My first bicycle was the weirdest thing I had ever laid eyes on. My Uncle Phillip built it, created it really, out of recycled bicycle parts. It was alive with the spirit of the 1970's and it was like no other. It was the most beautiful metallic jet blue color with a banana seat, a flat tail, chrome fenders, handmade curly handle bars, white wall tires, a glittery "USA" sticker and the ever famous training wheels. I believe it left a beautiful trail of "rainbow glitter" everywhere I rode it. I was the happiest little girl on Windridge Drive. I learned to ride and my Daddy removed the training wheels for me. It was an awesome gift and it made me feel very special. UNCLE PHILLIP'S LOVE & FRIENDSHIP WAS UNIQUELY SPARKLY & FULL OF MAGIC & LAUGHTER just like that bicycle he built for me. I wouldn't be the same person without his presence in my life. I hope I told him thank you and I love you enough. Never enough...
Regina Warden
May 4, 2015
Hey, I wanted to add either the fact he taught me to fish on my Kmart fishing rod & made me throw back my first rainbow trout cause it was too small.
When Clyde the goat would walk on the front porch at night at S. Singley he would tell me it's the water heads coming looking for kids that aren't sleeping when they're supposed to... It took me years to not believe him. :))
Ashley Alexander
May 4, 2015
Uncle OP always made me smile and taught me how to parallel park.
Audrey Lucas
May 4, 2015
I remember when we were kids we all went to Jekyll Island and Uncle Phillip pulled a sand dollar out of the ocean. Ashley and I were so amazed but scared to touch it lol we were so scared but now as I think back it was so funny I see us not wanting to touch it and screaming and laughing.
Brandt Shortt
May 4, 2015
Easy going friendly and really never a mean word about anyone is what I admired about Phillip. Afternoon tin can shooting sessions, Daytona bike week trips, lady pics , talking motorcycles, fishing trips where we never caught any fish, listening to his stories an jokes was always a plus.
Barry Crawford
May 4, 2015
I have lots of memories of OP from Bellsouth. He always had a smile on his face and a kind word for all he met. RIP my old friend
Leigh Bullard
May 4, 2015
OP, you will truly be missed on this earth. All of us will be together again one day. Loretta, my thoughts and prayers are with you always.
Christine Kaelin
May 4, 2015
Godspeed Phillip, the world has lost a bright star. You will b missed. Loretta you are in my thoughts and prayers.
Janice Hanvey
May 4, 2015
Janice Hanvey (his favorite sister in law) :)
Thanks OPthe best of the best!
To all a friend, confidant and mentor. To me a buddy and my friend. He touched our lives in so many ways. Enriching not only my life but my children's lives too!
OP was gamed for any adventure, he welcomed all to his home and to join in the many adventures (the more the merrier). I remember night fishing, searching for sand dollars and treasures at Jekyll Island...never a wasted minute on those precious long weekend trips. NASCAR Racing (although not the same after the #3 left us)the in-field racing trips were a blast.
Who else but OP would be game to change their prize pontoon fishing boat into a Stealth fighter jet OR a Mississippi Steamboat for a 4th of July Parade.
OP was the first one called when there was school project teaching all to reach a little further on those never ending school projects. The yearly pumpkin carvings, cookouts over the burn pit and dying the Easter eggs were events not to be missed! Anyone remember cooking Oreos on the camp stove? The best and scariest Halloween trails were his design.
Want to learn to shoot or just target practice yep OP's was the place.
More than that, from my teens to adulthood, OP was there for me. OP enriched our lives showing us knowledge was key and laughter the best medicine. Alan and I are grateful and feel privileged to have had OP in our lives and the impact he had with Vanessa and Zachary and yes I knoweveryone is grinning and thinking of how many times Zachary was on restriction because of OP (grin). Just remember...Zachary turned out just fine! I loved OP and will truly miss him. I will hold the memories near to my heart.
Josh Collins
May 4, 2015
A lot of my memories with Phillip were our times camping and any camping trip meant we were fishing. We had the best times when the fishing was slow, and there was a lot of those times. If it was rocking the boat to change our luck or telling stories of Ted mixing his sardines with dead bass minnows, there was a good laugh to be had. When we weren't fishing it was on to racing where Phillip was a life long Dale Earnhardt fan, which pushed me to be a lifelong Bill Elliot fan so that we could bet candy bars on the winner. Some of our best race experiences were spent on top of the Chevy Van in the infields of Atlanta and Talladega speedways with pimento cheese sandwiches and fried chicken that Loretta would cook early in the morning. Phillip always complained about the smell of fried chicken at 4:00 AM in the morning but it was always the best food during the race. Phillip had the neat toys, guns and pets, whether it is was a three wheeler, Ruger 44 Woodmaster, the fishing boat, Clyde the Goat or the Guinea that lived forever. All of the toys were broke most of the time and we would spend many days wishing together that his toys would be fixed. The pets like Clyde were mentally unstable but we think Phillip purposely trained them to be that way. For road trips, eating at Cracker Barrel was a necessity (we had a Cracker Barrel map on hand in the Chevy Van). OP made every trip an adventure and memory a special one. Thanks bud for the good times, we will miss you...
Sam Watts
May 3, 2015
Phillip was my brother in law whom I respected and loved very much. He was very kind and always had a joke to tell. My fondness memories are crappy fishing and going to NASCAR races with him. He will be truly missed.
Jack Lannen
May 3, 2015
My heartfelt condolences and prayers go out to the family and friends of O.P. Dunn. May the Lord provide you comfort in the difficult times ahead.
Katie Watts
May 3, 2015
Phillip will be missed terribly by our family. I remember him as he patiently taught many of us as kids to cast out a fishing rod, untangling many lines, ducking fast while teaching fly fishing, and letting all the kids believe that they were driving the boat while he was actually in control. He was ready to pack up (Loretta did the packing) anywhere, anytime and invite everyone. I don't think he met a stranger and was always the person to sit beside at any gathering as he could tell the best stories, make one laugh and just feel good. I remember a harrowing journey down the Chattahoochee river and crashing on some rocks. We kids thought we were in danger, upset and crying, while Phillip was concerned about my mother's fried chicken floating off in a green Tupperware bowl. He was the man behind the camera at each family gathering and loved to have a good time. Sam, Charlotte and I will miss him forever but feel very lucky to have so many memories of my brother-in-law. Katie (Collins) Watts
With all my love, I will miss you.
Shannon Duke
May 2, 2015
Today we (our family) lost a family member. My uncle was the most kindhearted person you would ever meet in your life. Never judgmental, never an unkind word towards anyone. He could tell the best jokes ever. He was my favorite uncle, he taught us how to fish, ride the hooch, how to survive a sinking pontoon boat (lol) how to camp. I love you OP and you are going to be missed by all. Please say a prayer for my aunt Loretta and our whole family. RIP OP
Glenn & Sandra Kuhne
May 2, 2015
Loretta, we are sorry for your loss. Sandra and I will be praying for you and your family. Glenn & Sandra Kuhne
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1745 Zack Hinton Parkway, McDonough, GA 30253
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