Sidney Robert Dunn, age 80, of Walker, California, died peacefully on July 19, 2023, at Carson Valley Senior Living in Gardnerville, Nevada, from complications related to Alzheimer’s Disease. Born on April 4, 1943, in San Francisco, CA, to parents Sidney Merlin Dunn and Olga Christensen Dunn, Bob, as he was known to most, grew up in San Francisco and moved to the Santa Cruz Mountains with his mother after his father passed away when he was only six years old. It was there his lifelong love of horses, the outdoors and fishing spawned. After graduating high school in 1961 at the Army and Navy Academy in Carlsbad, CA, Bob attended UC Berkely and earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from University of San Francisco before going on to obtain a Master of Arts degree in Business Education from San Francisco State University, all while working full time to support a young family.
Bob persevered in pursuing a career in purchasing and procurement at a time when most companies were focused on sales. His dedication to his profession prevailed throughout his career, which culminated with Bank of America and starting his own consulting firm. Hired by Bank of America in 1986 as the Manager of its Purchasing Department, Bob eventually became the Director of Purchasing for the entire Bank of America. Over the span of his 10-year career there, Bank of America made several acquisitions of other banks to establish a presence in many states at the onset of interstate banking. Bob developed training materials for the purchasing agents who reported to him, which he later sold to a top consulting firm in the United States. Developing training materials led him to consider a future in consulting and he left the bank in 1996 to start his own consulting firm, Strategic Procurement Solutions. Extremely successful, he brought on a partner in 2005 and the two expanded the business, their consulting contracts taking them throughout the US as well as foreign countries including China, England and Italy.
Bob also belonged to many professional organizations which kept him in demand for various speaking engagements and became well known and valued by his peers from coast to coast for his expertise in his field. He also taught courses at colleges in the Bay Area, including St. Mary’s College in Moraga, CA, and Cal State Hayward.
Bob managed to raise two families while building his exemplary career and passed on his passion for the outdoors, horseback riding, fishing, and soccer. His childhood love of riding spurred him to purchase his own horses which resulted in him becoming the family riding instructor, a “horseshow dad” to his daughter, hauling her to countless shows and Pony Club events, and general ranch hand in maintaining a mini farm in Santa Rosa, CA. He later spent years riding and showing Tennessee Walking Horses, as well as breeding and showing Bassett Hounds throughout the western United States. Bob also devoted many years to coaching his son and three stepchildren’s soccer teams and was always their biggest fan. And, of course, he taught all his children and grandchildren to fish and made many fishing trips to the Walker River over the years. However, the greatest gift he gave his children was passing on, through his example, the value of hard work, pride in a job well done and pursuit of excellence.
Bob’s love of the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains eventually brought him to establish residence in Walker, CA, where he lived for the past 26 years maintaining a small horse ranch and becoming an expert at finding fish anywhere along the Walker River and local lakes. His grandchildren often said that fishing with Grandpa was more accurately described as “catching,” because he always pointed them to the right spots to drop their lines. As with most true fishermen, Bob was quick to tell a great story, and frequently commented on life and the world at large with what his family affectionately coined “Bobisms.”
While living in Walker, Bob was an active member of the community serving on the Antelope Valley Fire Commission and Mono County Fish Commission, as well as becoming a member of the Antelope Valley Lions Club where he was part of the Scholarship Committee and a speech contest judge.
Bob ventured from his favorite fishing holes in the Sierras, taking multiple fishing trips to Alaska, the Smith River in Northern California, and regular excursions outside the Golden Gate aboard the Ginnie C with Captain Jim. He also enjoyed traveling with his wife, Tammy. Their trips took them to the Panama Canal, Tahiti, the Caribbean, and Mediterranean where they stopped in Italy, France, Spain, Croatia and Montenegro.
Bob is survived by his wife of 31 years, Tammy Dunn, of Walker, CA, his two children, Katherine O’Brien, and her husband, Barry O’Brien, of Woodinville, WA, and Robert Dunn, and his wife, Sharon Dunn, of Cumming, GA, as well as three stepchildren, Nicholas McHenry of Spokane, WA, Shawna Samudio and her husband, Mike Samudio, of San Diego, CA, and Brandon Carlson of Reno, NV; six grandchildren, two step grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. He is predeceased by his mother and father, as well as his stepdaughter, Jessica McHenry.
A Celebration of Life will be held at the Walker-Antelope Valley Community Building, 442 Mule Deer Road, Walker, CA, on Saturday, September 9, 2023, at 11:00 am. Donations can be made to the Alzheimer's Association or the Antelope Valley Lions Club.
Many thanks to his wonderful caregivers at Carson Valley Senior Living and Compassion Care Hospice of Reno, NV.