DUNN, Francis Earl - 1924-2014

DUNN, SUITER, CAMERON

Posted By: Connie Ellis (email)
Date: 1/19/2015 at 17:04:16

SOURCE: MEEKS MORTUARY AND CREMATORY, Muncie, Indiana
Contributor: Connie Ellis (Not related)

Earl Dunn, conductor, music director and administrator, passed away at 5:20 a.m. on December 15, 2014 at The Waters of Yorktown, to join his beautiful and wonderful wife, Elizabeth, who preceded him to Heaven. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 20, 2014 at the Meeks Mortuary and Crematory, Washington Street Chapel with Rev. Dr. Ronald Naylor officiating. Private entombment will be held at a later date. A memorial service for Earl will be held at Ball State University in January.

Earl was born Francis Earl Dunn near Manchester, Iowa on January 30, 1924 to Earl Francis and Mabelle Dunn. He attended and graduated from the Manchester, Iowa High School where he participated in many school activities, including playing the French Horn in the band, serving as drum major with the marching band and eventually becoming president of his senior class. After graduation, acting on his desire to be a college band director, he enrolled at Iowa State Teachers College (now the University of Northern Iowa) in Cedar Falls, Iowa, with a major in music. He performed in the University Band and Orchestra, and switching to a trumpet major, he paid for most of his college education with profits from his own dance band. At the suggestion of his ISTC band director he began teaching in several public schools in Iowa. Earl also served as a member of the trumpet section of the Waterloo Civic Symphony, and during the early 1950's was co-owner of the Russell-Goodwin Music Company.

He achieved his academic and music education degrees at the University of Northern Iowa. During the period in which he completed his graduate work, Dunn served as director of the Marching Band and assistant director of the Concert Bands at the University of Iowa. While he was teaching at Denison, Iowa, he met the love of his life, Elizabeth "Liz" Suiter and they were married on July 31, 1950 at Ida Grove, Iowa.

He taught three years at Wabash, Indiana before he was named Director of Bands at Ball State University where the bands grew from 41 members to 190 members. In 1969 he was named Director of Bands at the University of Alabama and earned national recognition during his tenure there. During these years Dunn had memberships in the nation's top music organizations: MENC, IMEA, Phi Mu Alpha, National Band Association, an organization which Dunn helped organize. He earned honors and awards from Ball State University Association and the AWAPA Award for outstanding leadership in the Band/Music professions.

Earl and Liz often played golf, spent many days on the road in their motor home showing their Bull Mastiffs throughout the United States. They were the only owner/handler team of the breed to win Best of Show at four Dog Show Championships in the United States.

Memorial contributions for Earl may be directed to the Ball State University Women's Golf Team, Attn: Coach Katherine Mowat,c/o Ball State University Foundation, 2800 West Bethel Avenue, Muncie, Indiana 47304 in his wife's memory.

Note from the transcriber:
Earl Dunn's wife was Elizabeth"Liz" Suiter who was born on March 25, 1927 at Ida Grove, Iowa to William and Ada (Cameron) Suiter. Elizabeth passed away on August 28, 2009 at Muncie, Indiana.