William Eugene Dunn

William E. Dunn, who, through faith and adventurous spirit, led a hospital in the Western Hemisphere's poorest country, died of Parkinson's disease and complications from a stroke on Thursday, May 17, 2018, in Lewiston, at age 86.

Bill was born in Halstead, Kan., on Oct. 3, 1931, and raised in the Mennonite farming community of Buhler. He met his wife, Irene, while studying at Bethel College, where he graduated with a degree in business administration. They were married on Sept. 4, 1953. In the decade that followed, the couple had three children and moved between several cities in the Midwest. As a pacifist Mennonite, Bill completed his 1-W conscientious objector service in Denver, Colo. In 1957, they moved to Ann Arbor, Mich., where Bill earned a master's degree in hospital administration at the University of Michigan. The family then settled in Bloomington, Ill., in 1959, where he served as CEO at Mennonite Hospital for 26 years, starting at the age of 27.

In 1973, Bill and Irene took a three-month working sabbatical with the Mennonite Central Committee, which sent them to Hospital Albert Schweitzer in Deschapelles, Haiti. There, Bill was drawn to the hospital's meaningful work, the close community of its staff and volunteers, and the growing friendship of its founder, Dr. W. L. Mellon. His connections to the hospital strengthened in the following years. Bill joined the board of the Grant Foundation in 1980, and in September of 1985, their three children and two foster children raised and out of the house, Bill and Irene relocated to Deschapelles full time.

The couple remained in Haiti until 1991, where Bill oversaw operations at the hospital. They were exciting times, with a vibrant community of international volunteers who fostered a wide breadth of cultural experiences in both work and leisure. Bill knew every hiking trail leading out of the Artibonite Valley, and eagerly shared his knowledge with new arrivals. He embraced the barter society, mastered the social banter implicit in Creole and developed a great love of the Haitian people.

He would later describe the affirming effect those years in Haiti had on his faith. In a letter to his family, he marveled that, "stripped of the infrastructure of communication, organization and dependability which masks much of God's works in developed cultures, we witnessed an unending stream of unbelievable events ... Might it be that in a culture which is permeated with black magic, fear, distrust and hopelessness that God must act in more obvious ways?"

Bill and Irene moved to Sarasota, Fla., in 1991, to head up fundraising, shipping and recruiting efforts for the foundation following the death of his friend Dr. Mellon, the hospital's wealthy founder and benefactor. He was still the CEO during those years, fluidly pivoting between fundraising in the U.S., recruiting in Europe, solving problems at the hospital and learning to maximize the use of the internet to benefit the organization.

When he retired to Clarkston in 2000, Bill carried his philanthropic commitment into our community. He volunteered with local churches and community organizations, including Habitat for Humanity and the Northwest Parkinson's Foundation. He also embraced the role of a hands-on grandfather, attending stunning numbers of ball games, recitals and school performances. He encouraged each of his grandchildren to share the things he loved: to get outside, to explore new cultures through foreign travel and to pursue an education to equip a life of service. He will be remembered by his family and friends as a gifted conversationalist; an avid runner, hiker, cyclist and map enthusiast; a devotee of pies and desserts; a creative and effective consensus builder in business and in life; a redeemed Christian; and a beloved husband, father, grandfather and friend.

He is survived by Irene, his wife of 64 years; sister Mary Banman; daughters Sherry Stoutin and Cyndy Kym; son Michael Dunn; foster son Frank Swanson; and foster daughter Theu Tran; as well as six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren to date.

The memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. on May 29, 2018, at Crosspoint Alliance Church, 1330 Powers Ave., Lewiston, followed by a pie reception at Lindsay Creek Vineyard, 3107 Powers Ave., Lewiston.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the following organizations: Literacy for Haiti, care of Cliff Matousek, 2610 13th St., Clarkston, WA 99403; Habitat for Humanity, 1633 G. St., Lewiston, ID 83501; and Cornerstone Christian School, care of Cyndy Kym, 4073 Fairway Drive, Lewiston, ID 83501.