Scott Scully Dunn

Scott Scully Dunn made a surprise appearance two weeks before his due date on March 26, 1987. He wasn’t one for stealing the spotlight, but he did have a mischievous streak and loved it when his antics got a reaction. From early on, when he further surprised his family by arriving with red hair, they should have known that he was on a path that was all his own.

Scott cherished his family and his role in it – and none more so than as uncle to his two nieces. He was a favorite presence in their lives, arriving at one’s birthday party with a perfect last-minute watermelon shirt to match the theme and earning their opinion that the best way to describe him was both funny and fun. He was most proud of being Uncle “Sock” – even before they could clearly say “Scott,” his nieces were his biggest fans.

He was loved unconditionally by the rest of his family – his parents, Bruce and Nancy, his sister, Emily, and brother-in-law Maury – and kept all of them on their toes, never failing to surprise them with an obscure fact or a witty, perfectly timed response. They admired the empathy and compassion he had for others, regardless of circumstance. Though he’d never boast of it himself, he offered opinions – stubbornly at times – that would often turn out to be correct and he could wait for just the right time to make his point.

His love of reading, incredible memory, and finger on the pulse of the news and current events gave him plenty of fodder that could earn a laugh, even in stressful times. Once, while waiting with his family for his mother to have a procedure done and after learning the medical equipment was made by the company St. Jude – Scott cleverly pointed out with a grin the irony that St. Jude was the patron saint of lost causes. This dry humor was his signature and when he and his sister would see anything with a slogan like “#1 Fan” or “World’s Best Uncle” they’d love to dryly quote Seinfeld by saying, “Well, I don’t know how official any of these rankings really are.”

Scott was a 2005 graduate of East Lansing High School and 2009 graduate of Albion College. He studied abroad in Ireland, serving as “Irish Guide” when his parents and sister visited. He began his career working at the MSU Federal Credit Union, followed by 10 years with the Private Bank of JP Morgan Chase, most recently as a forensic underwriter. But his favorite way to spend a day was some time outdoors, the closer to the water, the better, enjoying a Michigan State victory or a Detroit playoff win, ideally capped off with a steak or fish dinner that he’d prepared in his role as grill-master. He especially enjoyed spending time with childhood and high school friends, camping or enjoying beach bonfires.

“It’s so much darker when a light goes out than it would have been if it had never shone.” [John Steinbeck] Although he died suddenly and unexpectedly following a cardiac event at home on October 27, 2024, Scott’s family is grateful for the time his light shone on the earth, and his memory and the time they had together will be a blessing to them.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Glen and Lorna Dunn, and George and Jean Scully; uncle, Michael Harrison; and cousin, Connor Senn.

He is survived by his parents, Bruce and Nancy Dunn; his sister, Emily (Maury) Stern; nieces, Gracie and Cate Stern; aunts and uncles, Debby Harrison, Margy Senn, Lance Senn, and Kathy (Eddie) Pyrch; cousins, Molly (Mosie) Senn-McNally, Henry (Sarah) Senn, Abby (Dylan) Scott, Adam (Jessica) Harrison, Andrew (Nina) Harrison, Chelsea (Evan) Mace, Cal (Kayla) Pyrch, and all of their families.

A visitation for Scott will be held Sunday, November 10, 2024 from 4 pm to 6 pm at Gorsline Runciman Funeral Homes, 1730 East Grand River Ave., East Lansing, MI, 48823. A funeral service will be held Monday, November 11, 2024 at 11 am with a visitation one hour prior at Gorsline Runciman Funeral Home, East Lansing. Services will be streamed online at https://youtube.com/live/Zn-tD_3yGgg?feature=share for viewing live or at a later date. A private burial will take place at Lakeview Cemetery in Harbor Springs, MI.

Memorial contributions in memory of Scott may be made to Manna Food Project, 8791 McBride Park Court Harbor Springs, Michigan 49740 https://www.mannafoodproject.org/donate-online/, First Tee of Northern Michigan, Bartley House, 600 Highlands Dr, Harbor Springs, MI 49740 https://firstteenorthernmichigan.org/donate/ or Gift of Life, 3861 Research Park Dr, Ann Arbor, MI 48108 https://giftoflifemichigan.org/charitablegiving/make-a-contribution.