Marline Dunn Obituary (1938 - 2020)

MARLINE (BRANAMAN) DUNN, loving wife and mother, passed peacefully on January 9, 2020, at the age of 81 due to complications from a stroke. Marline grew up in Pendleton, Oregon, and worked for many years as an elementary school teacher on Whidbey Island, Washington until her retirement in1994. She and her husband, Rick, then moved to Oro Valley, Arizona where they enjoyed hiking and camping together. Marline spent the last 24 years as an active member of the Tucson community and her interests included gardening, paper and book arts, volunteering, reading, gourmet cooking, sewing, baking with her grandchildren, and taking long walks with her dogs. Marline was preceded in death by her brother, Robert "Bob" Alley, and grandson, Shawn. She is survived by her husband, F. Merrick "Rick" Dunn; her children, Corbett (Heidi) Hafner, Caaren (Matt) Abbott, Diana (Joe) Duch, Mary Sullivan, Sara Moore, and Susan (Brian) Lichty; grandchildren, Red, Diana, Marina, Sara, Merrick, Grace, Kinsey, Isabelle, Claire, Charlotte. her sisters, Nadine Rutton, Bonnie Lilley, and Kathy (Rick) Vogel; and all "whom she picked up along the way" as they were family to her. She will be greatly missed. In lieu of flowers please donate to Humane Society of Southern Arizona and/or Best Friends Animal Society A Celebration of Life will be held at 1pm, Sunday, January 19th, at Catalina Vista Recreation Center, 14055 N Del Web Blvd, Oro Valley, AZ 85755. The following poem was written by daughter Sara Moore for Marline on Mother's Day, 2003. It was inspired by many talks about the walls she, and everyone, creates in life and how important it is to learn to be vulnerable, open to love, and to enjoy this amazing experience of life. Our wish is that she is now playing in all the ways she may not have been able to with earthly bounds. Time to Play A child's small hands lift the first brick into place It's so heavy she thinks, the world's to blame Brick by brick, tier by tier The wall is built by this tiny frame Her hands bleed, her muscles ache Her sweat and tears a weak plea She doesn't stop, they're counting on her The wall is strong, and so is she Worry and Fear stand guard at the towers She can rest a bit on the blood soaked friend No one can enter, she's safe inside Here she'll live, ease her wounds, and mend Outside the wall, the years go by The wall stands tall, it won't reveal The vines grow thorns, the flowers lie The child within tries to heal The people pass, and wonder at first They pry at the stone to set her free And then they forget there is a wall They walk close but leave her be Seasons come and seasons go Babies are born and parents die The child wonders about life outside She feels alone and tries not to cry The little girl sighs, she's older now Worry and Fear look tired too The wall is worn, the corners crumble She knows it's time to let people through She reaches and pulls, but the wall resists Don't trust the outside her friend implores She continues to tear until there's a break And through the hole warm sunlight pours She turns and thanks her friend, her strength You've helped me keep the world at bay But now it's time to let it in It's time this little girl learn to play