Robert Johnston Dunkle

He was born to the late Robert J. and Ruth L. Dunkle on May 29, 1929 in Philadelphia, PA. Robert graduated from Noble & Greenough School in Dedham, MA in 1947 and went on to receive his B.A. in History from Trinity College in 1951. He married Joan Osborn in 1953 and raised his family in the Boston area and later relocated to North Hampton, NH and finally Naples, Florida.

Robert was a veteran of the U.S. Navy Reserves in which he served in the ZP-911 Squadron from 1948 until he was honorably discharged in May 1956. He served as a Dirigible radioman and bombardier.

During his business career, Robert was an investment broker and vice-president for Laird, Bissell and Meads of Wilmington, DE and Boston, MA. He went on to further positions in the investment world with such prestigious firms as R.W. PressPridge & Co. and Tucker Anthony & R.L. Day.

Robert was an avid and published genealogist. From 1978-1982, he was a genealogist for Colonial Dames of America, New Hampshire Society. Beginning 1992, he continued his vocation for the New England Historical Genealogical Society (NEHGS) which continued to present day. During his career as a contract genealogist with NEHGS, Robert co-authored no fewer than nine published works and numerous genealogical articles in The Genealogist, The American Genealogist, and The New England Historical and Genealogical Register.

As a young man, Robert spent his summers on Cape Cod and enjoyed the ocean and racing his International 110 out of the Nantucket Yacht Club. His greatest memory of that time was taking a spin around the Buzzards Bay in a soon-to-be mothballed PT boat. He loved his wife, family and grandchildren and engendered the greatest connotation of the word “Dad” to all that knew him. He will be sorely missed.

Robert is survived by his wife and four children: Stephen and Diane Dunkle of Bedford, NH; John and Jennifer Dunkle of Portsmouth, NH; Joan and Nicholas Dowling of Mountain View, CA; and Robert and Kristin Dunkle of Trumbull, CT. He is also survived by nine grand-children and two great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations be made out to New England Historic Genealogical Society (http://www.americanancestors.org).

A private memorial service will be announced at the Forest Hills Cemetery in Boston, Massachusetts.

Arrangements under the direction of Hodges Funeral Home At Naples Memorial Gardens, Naples, FL.