Obituary of George J. Dunn

George James Dunn, 78, of Glastonbury, died peacefully at home, Monday, August 4, 2014. Born in Middletown, September 26, 1935, to the late George Michael and Julia (Markowski) Dunn, he was the beloved husband of Patricia Helen Chatowski Dunn and a loving father to Alison Catherine Dunn. George also leaves his brother Eugene M. Dunn and his wife Marie of Middletown. He also leaves two nephews and their spouses, Michael J. Dunn and his wife Rebecca and Joseph J. Dunn and his wife Martha. In addition he leaves behind two nieces Jeanne D. Randazzo and her husband Joseph and Monica D. Agostinelli and her husband William. He also leaves three grand nephews and three grand nieces. George had an illustrious career in the brokerage business that lasted over 50 years in downtown Hartford. He worked for such firms as Shearson Hammill, T.E. Desmond & Co. and Dean Witter. George worked for the Cigna Financial Services and Prudential Retirement Brokerage Service Client Retention and Direct Service teams from 1996 until his retirement in 2012 as a Sr. Investment Operations Specialist. George was the first broker hired for the newly created brokerage unit within Cigna Financial Services in 1996, taking the very first call. George was a fixed-income securities expert and astonished many with his wisdom and knowledge of the stock market. Every day he would have the Wall Street Journal read twice over along with The Hartford Courant finished before anyone else stepped into the building. Over his many years on each of the teams, George built many deep and lasting relationships with clients of Cigna and Prudential, many of whom continue to ask for him and wish to be remembered to him. Many of his colleagues would not be where they are today without George's knowledge and expertise and, more importantly, his overall demeanor toward everyone he interacted with. He taught us so much about the market and the industry, but ultimately he taught us that if you treat everyone with kindness and respect, you will go far not only in career but in life. He was a wonderful friend, colleague and mentor to all he encountered within the halls of Prudential. One could always count on a birthday card, warm wishes on Valentine's Day, or a friendly and genuine inquiry from George about your life's goings on. To George's family and friends everywhere he had a constantly positive and upbeat outlook. He was a wonderful father (a daughter couldn't ask for a better Dad), and husband, amazing cook, and meticulous caretaker of the home of 30 years of which he was so proud. Everyone who encountered George for even a moment for the most mundane reason - would hear a joke that was sure to brighten their day. No matter who you were or what you were doing when you met George it brought him great satisfaction to leave you laughing at even the silliest joke. And for those who saw him every day - it brought a smile to your face when you saw him coming because you knew there would be a kind word, sympathetic ear, and another silly joke. His empathy and compassion for his fellow man was abundant and genuine. For George, making people happy is what sincerely made him happy. Like it or not, an encounter with George Dunn meant you were walking away laughing, and surely in a better mood than before. Steve Gabriel, a good friend of the Dunn family, would be the last person to hear one of George's jokes about three old men being interviewed about their secret to longevity. The first two men said when asked about their secret to long life "We abstained from cigarettes, booze and chasing women, and we're over 90 years old". The third man replied when asked for his secret "I smoked like a chimney, drank like a fish and chased every skirt to cross my path". The interviewer asked him how old he was and he said with a shaky voice "I'm 28". We would like to thank the staff of Masonicare Home Hospice for the intensive care they provided to George and our family, as well as Dr. Richard Soucier, Shannon Pitcher and the staff of the St. Francis Hospital congestive heart care unit. We'd also like to thank the many friends and neighbors of George who helped him and his family through the difficult stages of his disease. George was a wonderful father, brother, husband and friend, a true gentleman, and role model for us all. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday August 8 at 12 noon in St. Dunstan Church, 1345 Manchester Rd., Glastonbury. Burial will follow in Holy Cross Cemetery, Glastonbury. Friends may call at the Mulryan Funeral Home, 725 Hebron Ave., Glastonbury on Thursday August 7 from 4-8pm. For online condolences please visit www.mulryanfh.com.