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The Tina E. Dunn Memorial Fund

My name is Mary Dunn and I am starting this GoFundMe for my sister, Tina Dunn. I started this campaign for my family. We lost my brother, Kevin Dunn last year in September. We are hoping to raise some money towards funeral costs. Like losing my brothers (we also lost my brother, Sean 14 years ago), losing my sister, Tina is like losing a part of me. I know times are tough, but any amount of money you could spare would help the family out. And, if you are not able to send anything, please share this post.     (This me)                                 (This is Tina)

Tina's Origin Story
Tina Emily Dunn was born in Red Bank, N.J., July 30,1963. Tina was raised in Leonardo, N.J., by Kevin F. Dunn Sr. and Roberta Dunn(née Balsamo). She was one of seven children (#5 in the Dunn children lineup). She graduated from Middletown High School South, Class of 1981. She studied to be a dental hygienist right out of high school.

She took a break from office work and was a nanny for which was right up her alley. She was a big kid herself, so she was always finding activities for the boys in her care. Any birthday or Halloween party, if you needed to find Tina, just follow the squealing and laughing children, that's where you would find Tina leading games played.
When she became a mother, she decided that she wanted to raise her daughter herself instead of having her daughter in daycare. Tina switched to jobs which where not 9-5, Mondays through Fridays. When Elizabeth was a baby, Tina was able to do landscaping with the baby wrapped up in a papoose, on her back. Tina would do banquet waitressing when she had family to babysit Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth started going to school, Tina had worked a Ford plant before it moved and settled into working at the Atlantic Highlands Retirement Home for about 12 years. And, she approached working with seniors as she did with children, "let's see what fun we can have!"

I had a friend see her walking with a group of seniors, Tina pushing one gentleman up a hill on one of the side streets on her way home. My friend stopped when she saw it was Tina. My friend asked what they were doing and Tina's response was "It was too nice to sit inside so me and the boys are taking a walk".

During this time, she met the love of her life. This big ex-Marine who was a Bronx detective, and it seemed liked she was getting her "happily ever after". He was just waiting to get his 20 years and be able to retire. He was a first responder on 9/11 and ended up working in the area where the debris from the buildings were brought to. After being exposed to so much toxic material, the love of her life passed away just past the three year anniversary on 9/11.
With her heart broken, she found volunteering and joining the American Legion Auxiliary helped dull the loss. She would help with cooking, bartending and was very proud to serve a part of the Color Guard for the Post. She was active with 3 posts over the years.
Post 338 Leonardo, N.J.
Post 143 Highlands, N.J.
Post 54 Freehold, NJ.
Money was tight being a single mother, but she tried her best to make sure her daughter didn't miss out on much. Tina was troop leader when Elizabeth was in Girl Scouts. Tina, also was somewhat of a “Peter Pan”, leading kids on hikes or taking them camping.

When Elizabeth brought friends home, Tina always fed who ever was over. Being raised in a house with seven kids, she learned to cook meals that would stretch to feed everyone. So, Tina, Elizabeth and Jack (her beloved Jack Russell) made the best of it in Highlands, N.J.
Well, unfortunately bad luck struck Tina, again. October 29th 2012, Superstorm Sandy hit Highlands, N.J. and Tina lost EVERYTHING. And had to move into a FEMA trailer in Farmingdale, away from everyone she knew. And if that wasn't bad enough, she got bit by a brown recluse spider in the trailer on her leg and ended up with MRSA. After that, she started to not be able to work as hard as she used to and that is most likely when her liver issues started.
Well when she became a grandmother, that boosted her spirits. They became the center of her life. She was suffering from the effects of liver cancer and started getting treatment. So, she was in a rehab center waiting for them to find her housing and COVID-19 happened. Within her rehab center she was quarantined to stay in her room.

But, two months in, she was exposed to it and caught it. So, she spent from May 11th until October 28th when she passed at Riverview Medical Center (Hackensack Meridian Health)in Red Bank, N.J.

Organizer

Mary Dunn
Organizer
Leonardo, NJ

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