ST. PETERSBURG, FL: Arthur “Larry” Dunn, Sr., 77, died unexpectedly at home on March 24, 2013. He was the husband of Elinor (Chaput) Dunn with whom he had shared forty-three years of marriage.
Born in Newburyport on June 24, 1935, he was the son of the late Arthur H. and Christine (Boyd) Dunn. Larry had been a resident of St. Petersburg for the last twelve years and previously had resided in Haverhill for most of his life. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1953 and proudly served our country as an aircraft mechanic during the Korean War until he was honorably discharged in 1957. Larry worked for the City of Haverhill as a mechanic for the Police Department and for the DPW for twenty-seven years until his retirement in 2000. He was also a self-employed mechanic for several years and during his retirement he worked at the local Publix as a greeter.
He was a member of the Fraternal Order of Masons and was raised in 1966 to the Saggahew Lodge in Haverhill. He was also a member of the Crescent Yacht Club in Bradford, where he served on the Executive Board and served as Commodore in 1977. While living in Florida, he served as President and was an Executive Board Member at the Brookside Mobile Manor in St. Petersburg.
Larry was a devoted fan of the Boston Red Sox, enjoyed fishing and spending time gardening. He of course loved being with his family and there are many fond and funny memories of the times they spent together. Those times will be held close to the heart and will never be forgotten.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by his three daughters, Dona Cunningham of Bradford, Heather Tittmann and her husband, Craig and Gail Cunningham and her husband, William all of Haverhill; two sons, Arthur “Larry” Dunn, Jr. and his fiancée, Christine Norton of Haverhill and Edmund “Mickey” Chernesky and his wife, Pamela of Houlton, ME; fourteen grandchildren, Matthew and Aidan Tittmann, Brandy Colarusso, Blaise Cunningham, Raina and Rowdy Burke, Miranda Thistlewood, Allison Simpson, Nicholas Dunn, Melissa, Teddy, Dustin and Hope Chernesky and Loki Griffin; ten great-grandchildren, Blake, Ethan, and Adriana Colarusso, Isabella Ayan, Tyler and Logan Thistlewood, Samuel and Benjamin Lawler and Mashayla and Jacob Simpson; three sisters, Betty Dunn of Haverhill, Madelyn Mathieson of Bradford and Barbara Beaudoin and her husband, Russell of Tamworth, NH and many nieces and nephews. He was also predeceased by his beloved dog, “Snickers” who meant the world to him.
A celebration of Larry’s life will be held on Saturday in the Linnehan-Grondin Funeral Home, 52 Salem Street, Bradford at 11 a.m. Visiting hours will be held prior to the service from 9 – 11 a.m. Relatives and friends are cordially invited to attend. In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may be made in Larry’s memory to the MSPCA, 400 Broadway, Methuen, MA 01844. Interment will be held in the Elmwood Cemetery in Bradford.