RICHARD DUNNELL

DUNNELL G. RICHARD DUNNELL On March 6, 2019, G. Richard "Dick" Dunnells, age 81, passed away peacefully from complications following surgery, with his daughter Dana by his side. Dick is also survived by his sister Carole Miller of Middleburg; two brothers, Tom Dunnells of Charleston, SC, and Jerome Dunnells of West Islip, NY; and three grandchildren, Luis Armando Flor, Roisin Anne Gowen, and Lily Maiya Gowen. Dick was predeceased by his wife of 56 years and high school sweetheart Eugenie (Geni) Jacoby Dunnells, and their older daughter Daran Dunnells, 56, who passed away last year. Dick grew up in Port Washington, NY, graduated from Dartmouth College, and served as a Navy Intelligence officer aboard the U.S.S. Saratoga in the Mediterranean Sea. He attended the University of Virginia Law School, and in 1967 he joined Hogan & Hartson (now Hogan Lovells) in Washington, DC. Dick worked on Nelson Rockefeller's Presidential campaign, supported Senator John Warner in transition planning, and held several key appointments in the Nixon Administration department of Housing and Urban Development, including Deputy Assistant Secretary for Housing Management, an ambitious new part of the Great Society Program started by President Johnson. He left HUD in 1973 and co-founded a small law firm best known as Dunnells Duvall Bennett & Porter (DDB&P). Dick's practice focused on federally regulated housing, and through him, the firm became a powerhouse in that area. Over its 20 years, DDB&P firm grew from four lawyers to approximately 75 and was critical to the careers of a legion of prominent DC lawyers. Dick also served on President Reagan's HUD transition team and was a member of the President's Commission on Housing. In 1994 they merged into Holland & Knight, a large national law firm. As their Hiring and Recruiting Partner, Dick led the expansion from 450 lawyers in 13 cities to 1,275 lawyers in 26 cities and several abroad. He stepped down in 2004 and upon his retirement received the Chesterfield Smith Award, Holland & Knight's highest award for service to the firm, the profession, and the country. Dick Dunnells was a natural advocate who honed his advocacy skills early on, while at Dartmouth, as president of the DKE house, which was rumored to have been the model for "Animal House." Dick did so much advocating for the fraternity in the dean's office after weekend parties that, as he recalled, "The dean's secretary used to keep a seat open for me in the waiting room on Monday mornings." He also loved the outdoors, and throughout his life was an athlete and avid fisherman. He owned and operated a farm in Pennsylvania where he raised cattle. He was deeply loved by his family and friends and will be greatly missed. A memorial service for Dick will be held on Friday March 15 at 3 p.m. at the River Road Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 6301 River Road, Bethesda MD 20817. For those who want to donate in honor of G. Richard Dunnells, please log onto redcross.org, then click Make a Donation. The American Red Cross provides services to the Armed Forces throughout the world, and supplies approximately 60% of the blood in the National Capital Region, some of which was used during Dick's hospitalization. On the donation page please check "Dedicate this gift to a friend of a loved one," and specify G. Richard Dunnells. For those who want to donate in honor of G. Richard Dunnells, please log onto redcross.org, then click Make a Donation. The American Red Cross provides services to the Armed Forces throughout the world, and supplies approximately 60% of the blood in the National Capital Region, some of which was used during Dick's hospitalization. On the donation page please check "Dedicate this gift to a friend of a loved one," and specify G. Richard Dunnells.