Ira John Dunn

Ira John Dunn passed away peacefully at his Gulf Harbour home in Fort Meyers, FL on January 20, 2025. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Susan Rhea Dunn; three children and their spouses, Thomas and Julia Dunn (Greenwich, CT), William and Melanie Dunn (Park City, UT) and Laura and Jon Goldberg (Cleveland, OH); seven grandchildren, Caroline, Elizabeth and John Dunn, Phoebe and Henry Dunn, and Sophia and Hannah Goldberg; and his sister, Diantha Bell. He was preceded in death by his parents, Thomas and Elizabeth Dunn, and his siblings Oscar Dunn, Ellen Eyerly Dunn and Leslie Gros. 

 John was born in Erie, PA on August 19, 1944. He graduated from Colorado College in 1966, where he played football and lacrosse, and from Dickinson Law School in 1969. After law school, he worked several years for Arthur Anderson in Denver before returning to Erie in 1971 to practice law at Dunn & Conner and then the Quinn Law Firm until he retired in 2009.

 Over the course of his legal career, he served as President and Treasurer of the Erie County Bar Association, Solicitor for the Erie County Industrial Development Authority, Deputy County Solicitor for Erie County, and an Examiner for the Pennsylvania State Board of Bar Examiners. He was a founding member of the Erie County Bar Foundation and Penn Attorneys Title Insurance Company, where he also served as Chairman.

John was a board member for the Erie Philharmonic, Stairways, the First Presbyterian Church of the Covenant, the Erie Day School and UPMC Health Systems. He was a member of the Kahkwa Club, Erie Yacht Club, Erie Club, and served on each club’s board. He was also a member of Gulf Harbour Yacht and Country Club as well as Mayflower Society, SAR and St. Nicholas Society. 

 In addition to his many professional accolades, John was known for his love of sailing. He raced his beloved sailboat, EYERLY, with family and friends for many years. While striving to win races, which he did often, he also kept his eye on the fun meter, earning the nickname “Captain Fun” from his crew, family and friends. Together, Susan and John sailed throughout the Great Lakes, travelled the Erie Canal to the east coast, and chartered bareboat in many Caribbean waters. His kindness, wit, and love to talk made him a champion and role model for his children and many of their friends.

 Friends may call at Burton Quinn Scott Cremation & Funeral Services Inc. West Ridge, 3801 West 26th Street, Erie, PA 16506 at 10am on Saturday, January 25, 2025, with the funeral service at 11:30am. John will be interred at the Dunn Cemetery at a later date. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Erie Yacht Club Foundation (www.erieyachtclubfoundation.org), the Erie Philharmonic (www.eriephil.org) or the YMCA (www.ymcaerie.org).