Thomas Dunn (`65)

Thomas Dunn, an outfielder for the University of New Mexico Lobos before enrolling in law school, died in August 2012 at his home in Fort Plain, NY, after an 18-year battle with prostate cancer. He was 72.

Dunn, who often referred to himself as an “Okie from Muskogee,” was born in Muskogee, Okla. Four years later, he moved with his family to Albuquerque, where he stayed for the next 61 years. At Highland High School, he was quarterback on the football team and also played baseball.

At UNM, he was a member of the 1962 baseball team that secured a berth in the NCAA District 7 playoffs, an accomplishment that was not achieved by a UNM team until 2010.

He earned his bachelor’s degree from UNM in 1962 and went on to the UNM School of Law, graduating in 1965. He joined the Albuquerque law firm now known as Moses, Dunn, Farmer & Tuthill, where he stayed for the next 41 years.

Through the years, he remained a loyal Lobo baseball fan, and in the 1980s, he was instrumental in saving the team, which was threatened by a lack of funds, according to the Albuquerque Journal. In 1987, he worked out a deal with then-UNM President Gerald May, promising to raise at least $25,000 to pay for travel expenses and other necessities. That got the team through the next season.

Dunn also coached Little League and American Legion baseball teams for 11 summers. He was active Bible Study Fellowship.

In 2005, he retired from his law practice to join his oldest son, Greg (`93), and his family, who were moving to a farm in upstate New York. He and his wife, Sandy, relocated.

Friends described Dunn as humble and always putting the needs of others before his own. He also was known for a great sense of humor and as a skilled storyteller.

October 24, 2012