Dunne, Joseph F.

Fortified with the sacraments of the Holy Catholic Church, Joseph Fallon Dunne, 82, of Crestwood, Missouri, was called to eternal rest on May 8, 2024, after a courageous battle with ALS.
He passed at his home, embraced by the love and company of his family. He was born in St. Louis on December 12, 1941.

Devoted husband of 60 years to Sylvia Dunne (nee Ross); beloved father of Kathleen Dunne (Scott Intagliata), Elizabeth (Edward) Schmitt, Joseph Dunne (Michelle Garcia), Michael (Kathleen) Dunne, and Matthew Dunne; cherished Grandpa of Timothy (Hannah), Patrick, Rose, Aidan, Brendan and Joseph; dear son of the late Joseph M. and Phyllis Dunne; dear brother of Mary (Robert) Dunn, John (Patricia) Dunne, James (Brenda) Dunne, the late Stephen (Karen) Dunne, and the late Daniel Dunne.

Joseph is a graduate of Bishop DuBourg high school, going on to study English at Benedictine College, where he met his future wife, Sylvia. Joseph would go on to earn MA degrees in English (Kansas University) and Communication Studies (St. Louis University).

Joseph joined the faculty at St. Louis Community College at Meramec shortly after marrying Sylvia in 1964, and they settled in a home in Crestwood where they would raise their five children. Joseph had a long, successful career at SLCC as an English professor, committed to educational access for all while lifting up adult learners, their families and their communities. In 1996, Joseph was honored with the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Retiring after over 35 years of service to the college, Joseph enjoyed gardening, watercolor painting, grandchildren, and volunteering. He particularly valued his work as a docent at the Missouri Botanical Gardens, a role that combined his love for the outdoors and gardening, history, and education.

For a life so well-lived there is so much to share about the man that lived it, and yet what more is there to add? Born in the shadow of Pearl Harbor, Joseph’s life would span the second half of America’s Century, and perhaps it is in this backdrop that he grew into such a Renaissance man—knowledgeable in history, literature, math and science, a gifted green thumb, an accomplished woodworker and artist, guitarist, handyman and so much more. Faith and family were the center of his life, and he delighted in the time spent with his siblings, wife, children and grandchildren. His internal moral compass was both inspiring and humbling to all who knew him.

Son, brother, husband, teacher, father, and grandpa, Joseph was a gift to the world in so many ways. While heaven’s gate rejoices in his arrival, the world has lost a bit of greatness, and his wife and children have lost their biggest fan.

Services: Calling hours 4 to 8 pm on Monday, May 13 at Kutis Funeral Home, 10151 Gravois, Afton, Missouri. A funeral mass will be held at 10 am on Tuesday, May 14 at Our Lady of Providence Catholic Church, 8866 Pardee Rd, St. Louis, Missouri. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the ALS Association or the St. Vincent De Paul Society.