John Francis Dunn

John Francis Dunn, age 73, passed away October 28, 2025 in Nashville, TN after a brief illness.

He was born in Newark, New Jersey, to the late Robert and Mary Dunn. John met the love of his life, Maryellen O’Neill, in New Jersey, and the two married on March 12, 1977. Together, they shared a wonderful life and raised their beloved daughter, Kathryn.

A proud graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Class of 1974, John went on to serve his country with honor as a Navy officer. His career took his family on many adventures across the country and around the world, with some of their fondest memories made during their years living in Hawaii, where he was stationed at CincPac Fleet. Throughout his service, John completed multiple overseas deployments and developed a deep love for celestial navigation, which remained one of his lifelong passions.

John was a Fourth Degree Knight of Columbus, a distinction he took great pride in. He also enjoyed spending time at the shooting range, reading the daily online news from places they had lived, playing his guitar, and losing to his grandsons at chess. Above all, he cherished time spent with his grandsons, who brought him endless joy.

Known for his sharp wit and signature sense of humor, John kept his family smiling with his regular “dad joke” emails. He was a man of deep faith, boundless curiosity, and unwavering devotion to his family and country.

He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Maryellen Dunn; daughter, Kathryn (Derek) Feuquay; grandsons, Cole, Luke, and Jacob Feuquay; brother, James (Mary Jane) Dunn; sister, Betty (Ron) Hinkle; many cousins, nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by his brother, Patrick Dunn and sister, Mary Dunn.

A funeral mass will be held at 11AM Thursday, November 6, 2025 at Holy Family Catholic Church in Brentwood, Tennessee. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service. Burial will take place after the mass at Williamson Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations could be made to Tunnels to Towers Foundation or Saint Vincent de Paul Society.