James Robert Dunn Iii

James Robert Dunn III (Bob) Master Chief, trivia champ, Phillies fan, and proud owner of the most useless surf racks in Navy history passed away on May 14, 2025, leaving behind a legacy of love, laughter, and completely fictional surfing.
Born in Charlotte, NC in 1946 to James and Evelyn Dunn, Bob graduated from Myers Park High School before enlisting in the U.S. Navy. Over the next 22 years, he worked his way up to Master Chief as an electronics technician, serving aboard the USS Semmes, USS Bowen, and USS Everett F. Larson. His assignments took him (and his family) all over the world-California, Greece, Morocco, Guantanamo Bay, Iceland-and no matter where he went, he could fix anything: ships, washing machines, toilets, cars, stereos you name it.
In 1966, Bob married his lifelong partner in crime, Joyce, and together they raised two daughters, Laura and Suzanne. They traveled the world together (sometimes willingly), all while Bob kept the household running smoothly with a wrench in one hand and classic soul music in the other.
Now, about that nickname "Surfer Bob." Did he surf? Not even once. The name stuck thanks to the rusted old surf racks welded to the roof of his daughter's outgrown car. He never took them off. Why? Because they were hilariously misleading, and that was exactly his style.
When he wasn't pretending to be a surfer, Bob was reeling in saltwater catches off Damn Neck, dominating trivia nights at The Clubhouse Bar & Grill or Jolly Roger's in the Outer Banks, and grooving to The Temptations, The Four Tops, and The Tams like it was still 1969. His biggest passion, though, was sitting on the beach with a line in the water. Fishing was his peace.
Bob was also a die-hard Philadelphia Phillies fan. He loved baseball, especially taking his daughters to games when they were little. But he didn't just watch sports. He played them. Basketball, softball, golf, Bob was ready to play. And he stayed active and social long after his military retirement.
In his second career, Bob worked as a civilian for the Joint Staff J6 C3OD2 in Suffolk, where he was proud to be part of a tight-knit team of friends and colleagues. Alongside Ken Parsons and Al Knight, affectionately nicknamed "The Lawyers" (though not one of them was a lawyer). Bob worked hard, mentored others, and earned deep respect from everyone around him.
In his downtime, Bob enjoyed quiet routines: playing solitaire games on his computer, flipping between the History Channel and Discovery, and clipping coupons with all the enthusiasm of a man preparing for battle. He loved yard sales ("If I could make a nickel "), doted on his azaleas and lawn, and always had a clever joke or quick fix ready for anyone who needed it.
He is survived by his wife of nearly six decades, Joyce Dunn; daughters Laura Gaither and Suzanne Dunn; granddaughters Brittany (husband Adam) Carpenter and Amanda Gaither (fiancé "Chuck" Brinker); his brother George Dunn and sister-in-law Dinah Dunn; nephews Mike Dunn and Scott Benfield; nieces Sharon Dunn, Julie Dunn, and Cheryl Critters. He is preceded in death by his loving parents, James and Evelyn Dunn, and his sister Martha Newman.
A gathering of family and friends to celebrate Bob's well-lived, well-traveled, and well-humored life will be held on Saturday, June 7, 2025, from 4:00–7:00 PM at Altmeyer Funeral Home, 5033 Rouse Drive, Virginia Beach. Inurnment with military honors at Albert G. Horton Jr. Memorial Veterans Cemetery will follow at a later date.
In Bob's honor, answer a trivia question out loud, blast some Motown, admire your azaleas, and maybe clip a few coupons while planning your next yard sale. And above all-leave those surf racks on just a little longer. You never know what stories they'll inspire.
And if you listen closely on a breezy day by the ocean, you just might hear Bob reeling one in...sitting on a cloud with his toes in the surf, telling the angels it's definitely a keeper this time. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of James, please visit our floral store.