MARLYN DUNN, 86, died in her sleep on March 23, 2015.  Born Marilyn Jean Gribble in Butte, Montana to Tom and Irene Gribble, she lived in a neighborhood with aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents and family was always very important to her. 

During her younger years, she babysat to earn money and held offices in Rainbow Girls during High School.

After graduating High School, Marlyn worked as a secretary for New York Life Insurance in Butte for 3 years.  She married Roy Dunn in 1949 after his service in the Navy and 2 years of college.  She worked as a secretary to the Director of the Student Union at Montana State College in Bozeman for 2-1/2 years after her marriage while Roy completed his junior and senior years of college as an Engineering Physics major.

They moved to Richland, Washington in 1951 and Marlyn worked as a secretary for 2 years for General Electric Company at Hanford.  She worked at the Redox facility in the 200 West Area, then downtown in the 705 Building in Employee Relations before their first child, Nancy, was born in 1953.  Marlyn and Roy went on to have two more children, Robert in 1955 and Joanne in 1958. 

Marlyn was a substitute secretary for the Richland School District for 11 years after raising her family, then began working in the Hanford School office the first day the new school opened in 1973.

In her early years, Marlyn loved going to the cabin in the mountains on weekends with family.  Later on in life she enjoyed reading, writing letters, visiting with friends, monthly bridge group and book club, bird watching, playing the piano, collecting antique custard cups, and being a wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.  She enjoyed going to the childrens’ soccer games, watching the young ones carve pumpkins or dye Easter eggs, and cheering on the Tri-City Americans hockey team.  She loved going back to the mountains, but also liked the ocean and beach.  Wherever she went, often times she’d just sit and watch the people.

She was a member of Central United Protestant Church since 1951 and a past, active member of the Women’s Commission of Central Church.  She was also a member of a long-standing bridge club, a women’s book group, and Chapter FX – Philanthropic Educational Organization (PEO) whose mission was to promote educational opportunities for women around the world.

Marlyn was preceded in death by her mother, father, grandchildren Benjamin Dunn and Samuel Dunn, and husband Roy Dunn.

Marlyn is survived by her daughter Nancy Dunn and grandsons Christopher Tobin (wife Paty) and Michael Tobin (wife Kate) and great-grandchildren Alexis and Elijah, son Robert Dunn (wife Jo) and grandson Matthew, daughter Joanne Smith (husband Larry) and grandchildren Riley and Kelsie, and brother Glen Gribble of Helena, Montana, in addition to numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Marlyn had professed her faith in God and shared in the blessing of that faith.

A memorial service is scheduled for Saturday, April 4^th at 11:00 a.m. at Central Church in Richland, Washington.  In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to either SIGN Fracture Care International (founded by Dr. Lewis Zirkle of Richland at www.signfracturecare.org or 451 Hills Street, Richland, WA  99354) or the Union Gospel Mission (112 North 2^nd Avenue, Pasco, WA  99301).

Marlyn was truly loved and will be greatly missed . . . but we know she’s in Heaven and meeting back up with family and friends!