WILLIAM RICHARD "DICK" DUNLAVY

DUNLAVY, ROSE, SCHMIDT, CAROTHERS, STEPHENSON, ORMAN, LAUGHRIDGE, VASQUEZ

Posted By: Volunteer: Vicki (email)
Date: 9/28/2015 at 16:07:52

William Richard “Dick” Dunlavy, age 82, of Belknap, was born August 27, 1932, the son of Ralph E. and Lily (Laughridge) Dunlavy in Bloomfield, Iowa. He passed away quietly at his home while in hospice care early Monday morning, July 20, 2015. Dick lived his entire life in the Belknap area and graduated high school from the Bloomfield Community High School in 1950. He was married to Violet Rose on June 18, 1957 at the Christian Church in Drakesville, Iowa. They celebrated their 58th wedding anniversary in June. To this union, four children were born, Katherine, Carol, Danny and Gary.

He spent his adult life farming and driving a school bus for the Davis County Community School District. Dick drove the bus for 32 years and was proud to have driven for three different generations of area families. He loved horses, WWE wrestling, and the Hawkeyes.

He is survived by his wife, Violet of Belknap; two daughters, Katherine “Kathy” (John) Schmidt of Norwalk and Carol Dunlavy (and her fiancé, David Carothers), of Oskaloosa; two sons, Danny (Mary) Dunlavy of Belknap and Gary (Trudi) Dunlavy of Bloomfield; ten grandchildren, Paul and Jason Schmidt, Stephanie (Matt) Vasquez, Makayla Dunlavy, Sullivan Dunlavy, Sheridan Dunlavy, Nathaniel (Christina) Dunlavy, Zachary (Holly) Dunlavy, Cameron (Cassie) Dunlavy and TaNisha Dunlavy; great-grandchildren, Trysten, Owen, Tatum, Ainslee, Rylee, Layton, Madison and Gannon, and two more on the way; a sister, Martha Stephenson of Belknap; and several nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Bert Dunlavy, a sister, Mary Orman, and an infant brother and sister.

In lieu of flowers, the family has designated memorials to either Good Samaritan Society Hospice of Ottumwa or Davis County Dollars for Scholars.