James P Dunn

James P Dunn

08/31/1950-06/16/2023

James (Jim), 72, of Montrose, passed away in his home, with his wife and daughter, by his side, on 6/16/2023. After battling Type 1 diabetes, since the age of 6. In 2012 he was diagnosed with a very rare, non-curable, form of Leukemia. He even gave bone marrow donations for future research. And then, in the end a very short fight with Renal Failure.

He was born in Dell Rapids, SD on 8/31/1950, the middle child of 5, to Carmen and Lorraine Dunn. At the age of 5 the family moved to Colorado and settled in Cañon City. He graduated there, Class of 1969, where he excelled at Academics, Sports, and Student Government.  He then went onto get a bachelor’s degree, from CSU in Outdoor Recreation and Biology, followed by a Masters in Forestry.

He worked for the US Forest Service for 40 years and durning the summer he traveled Nationally to supervise and coordinate the fighting of Wild land Forrest Fires, as a Type 1 Incident Commander for aviation.

In 1971 He married his childhood sweetheart, Debbie McCormick. they had 1 daughter, Stacey Meszaros, and she gave them 3 grandchildren. Being involved in his daughter’s life and in the live’s of his grandchildren was very important to Jim, and while he would often have to travel hours, he never missed a game/meet, awards ceremony, band concert, or school play. He was loving referred to as Poppy, and many of his grandchildren’s friends and their families still call him that.

In 2009 he received the Annual Lloyd McMillan Memorial Award. And in 2015 he was inducted into the Colorado High School Association of Officials, Hall of Fame.

Jim officiated High School Basketball and Football for over 35 years. He has also officiated wheelchair basketball for 15 years. And he coached the Montrose High School Baseball Teams for 5 seasons, even taking them to the State Championship.

He used overcoming diabetes in his own life to be active in area sports and to give back to hundreds of kids through their mutual involvement in local athletics. With the motto “if I can, you can too”

He is proceeded in death by, both parents and 3 sisters. Survived by, his wife Debbie of Montrose, his daughter Stacey Meszaros (Scott) of North Carolina, and grandchildren, Alexis-Jaymes Meszaros (Nate Navarro) of Georgia, Cooper Meszaros USAF, and Briar Meszaros of Washington DC.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Or please plant a tree. He loved the outdoors.

Crippin Funeral Home, Montrose is assisting the family.