Kenneth Dunn

Kenneth L. Dunn, age 71 of Duncanville, passed away December 29, 2023 at his home. Services will be held on Wednesday, January 3, 2024 at 2:00 pm at Magnolia Chapel South. Visitation will be held in the chapel one hour prior to te service. He will be entombed at Magnolia Mausoleum next to his mother Carol Booth Parker.

He is preceded in death by his father; James Lelton Dunn, mother; Carol Booth Parker, sister; Linda Carol Dockery and his brother-in-law; Jerome Dockery.

Survivors include his wife; Santha Drummond Dunn, daughter; Monica Dunn Sobol (Kevin), of Vacaville, CA., son; Kenneth "Lee" Dunn, Jr (Jeanne), of Duncanville, AL., brother; Rex Dunn, Tuscaloosa, AL., grandchildren; Twin Grandsons: David Pierce, Luke Pierce Step Grandchildren; Kyle Sobol,Lena Epperson, Reis Epperson

Ken was born on July 30, 1951 in Mobile, AL, to Carol Booth Dunn & James Lelton Dunn

Ken was a 1969 graduate of Holt High School, and (following his Navy duties) he completed a Shelton State College CNC Machinist course in record time.

Ken completed his Navy Training on Oct.15, 1969, and began active Navy duties August 3, 1970, serving as a Radarman on the ship USS Holder off the coast of Vietnam. He served active duty 2 years, earning a National Defense Service Medal. He remained in Navy inactive duty until September 2,1975.

After completing Shelton State Community College, he began working for Southern Precision in Irondale, AL as a machinist from 1975-until Dec. 1987. Ken left Southern Precision to accept a Machinist position at The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, The Department of Engineering & Technical Services. He was hired on as a machinist, but after a few years became the Chief Mechanician in charge of The Department of Engineering Technical Services Division. Ken's CNC Machinist teacher at Shelton State Community College had been contacted by the U of A to request a recommendation for the machinist position. Although it had been 12 years since Ken had been in that class, his teacher said there was only one person he would recommend for the position, Ken Dunn.

Backing up.....after Ken was hired on at Southern Precision in Birmingham, he moved from Holt, AL to live in Birmingham near his work. Soon after, a mutual acquaintance of Ken's he worked with and an acquaintance of Santha Drummond she went to church with set up a blind date, introducing them in October 1975, meeting at Santha's workplace in Birmingham, and the 3 had lunch together. Ken and Santha dated from that time and were engaged on Good Friday, April 16, 1976. They married on Aug. 7, 1976, at Ruhama Baptist Church in Birmingham where Santha was a member. Ken was 25 & Santha was 24. Following a honeymoon to Disney World in Orlando, they moved into a home in Fultondale, AL that Ken had purchased on Kenneth Street. Ken & Santha joined Gardendale Church of the Nazarene.

Ken & Santha gave birth to their daughter Monica Joy Dunn on Sept. 1, 1978, and May 12, 1971 Santha gave birth to their son, Kenneth "Lee" Dunn, Jr. When Monica was about to begin 1st grade, they bought and moved to a home in Gardendale, AL. It was when Monica was 10 & Lee was 7 they moved to Duncanville and bought 16 acres of land to build their new dream home. The four of them joined Holton Heights Nazarene Church which is where Ken had been a member before he moved to Birmingham, and he had been saved & baptized there in his youth. After 2 years, they moved their church membership to Tuscaloosa First Church of the Nazarene which was closer to their Duncanville home that was finally completed. After it had been framed and bricked up, Ken spent every evening after getting off work to complete the interior of their house which took 2 years.

While Ken was a member at Gardendale Church of the Nazarene, he was presented a Distinguished Service Award. He also received that award from Tuscaloosa First Church of the Nazarene. Ken was a very active member of each church, and served in a number of capacities, which included serving on the Church Board, Sunday School Superintendent, Sunday School Teacher, Bass singer in the Church Choir and sang solos, duets, quartets, etc. He served as Co-Director of PrimeTimer's with his wife Santha, and he served in just about any area anyone needed him to, which also included a few Work & Witness trips.

Though Ken's church membership at his death remained at Tuscaloosa First Church of the Nazarene, he & Santha began attending Taylorville Baptist Church in Tuscaloosa late August 2023.

Ken use to hunt, but fishing with his son, grandsons & friends is what he enjoyed most. He loved spending time with all of his family & friends, and they all loved him! So many told Santha after he passed that Ken was the closest person to Jesus that they'd ever met.

He passed peacefully as he slept beside his wife in bed. It was his daughter Monica and one of her twins, Luke who walked in their bedroom that morning, and could see that Ken was no longer breathing. Ken is suffering NO more, and his soul is now in the presence of His Saviour and many loved ones & friends who passed on before him. He will miss those he left behind, as we all will miss him. He had been asking Jesus to take him home out of his pain & suffering from cancer. God granted him his last wish. Ken's desire has always been for all of his friends & loved ones who are still living down here, that they would ask Jesus to forgive them of their sins, ask Jesus to come in to their heart, and that they will live out the rest of their earthly days by living a life that is pleasing to Jesus Christ who freely gave His own life by dying on a cross in order that His blood would cover all their sins, because He loves us all so much. Ken wants to be able to see us all again.

Pallbearers will be Kerry Hill, Richard Carruth, John Smith, Phillip Booth, Mike Peacock, J.C. Hoggle.