James Richard "Dick" Nunn

James Richard "Dick" Nunn

1930 ~ 2025

James Richard "Dick" Nunn passed away peacefully at home in Moab, Utah on August 4, 2025, at the age of 95. He was found in his favorite easy chair with a donut in hand and a cup of tea by his side.

Dick was born in Oxnard, California on June 25, 1930, to Robert Nunn and Lenora Steele Nunn. He was one of five children. In 1944 the family moved to Santa Paula, California where Dick attended Santa Paula Union High School. His favorite teacher and mentor, Gorden Woods was the agriculture teacher. Dick graduated in 1949 and attended Cal Poly, San Dimas on a Sears Roebuck Scholarship. In 1950 the Korean War began, and Dick helped his dad on their orange grove until he was inducted into the U.S. Army in 1951. His tour of duty was mostly spent in Sendai, Japan. While there he tried out for the Olympic Team since he was an accomplished marksman. He finished 6th and just missed the team. Returning home from the war, Dick opened and ran a successful business; "Nunn's Custom Floors." In 1953, he met a beautiful and petite woman named Norma and in 1955, they were married in the historic St. Francis Church in Fillmore, California. They were the proud parents of Gregory, Julie and Jeffery. In 1971, Dick and Norma took a trip with their friends Jim and Ruth Gladden and traveled to Moab to look over a cattle ranch advertised for sale. They bought the property on Wilson Mesa from Frank and Eddah Shields and three weeks later Dick left Santa Paula with Julie and Jeffery, two horses and enough food to last a year. Norma and Greg stayed in Santa Paula to sell the business and join them later. Filled with the pioneer spirit and not having a clue what he was getting into, Dick was going to fulfill his lifelong agricultural dreams.

On the ranch, Dick lived in a primitive log cabin with his Australian Sheppard dog "Joseph Michael." Norma went to work as a real estate agent, and the kids attended schools in Moab. Dick began his career with 100 cows, three bulls and water rights from the Dry Fork of Mill Creek and Mason Draw Spring to irrigate his 716 acres. The property came with permit(s) to graze his cattle on 21,000 acres of National Forest service and Bureau of Land Management land. He grew healthy and abundant crops of alfalfa and pinto beans.

Dick retired from the ranch in1990 and enjoyed golfing, fishing and especially playing poker with his buddies.

Dick is preceded in death by his wife Norma, all his siblings, granddaughter Tiffany Swafford, and many friends. Dick is survived by his three children, five grandchildren, 14 great grandchildren and several good friends.

A mass for Dick will be held at the St. Pius X Catholic Church in Moab, on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. Interment with military honors will be held immediately after the service at Sunset Memorial Gardens, 2651 Spanish Valley Drive, and a luncheon will follow back at the St. Pius X Catholic Church.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude’s Research Center P.O. Box 1999, Memphis, TN 38101, or online at stjude.org

Family and friends are invited to share tributes online at Spanish Valley Mortuary.com.