Loren C. Dunn died peacefully on May 16, 2001 in Boston, Massachusetts while surrounded by his wife and children. He was born June 12, 1930 in Tooele, Utah to Alexander F. and Carol Horsfall Dunn and was always proud of his Tooele roots.
He graduated from Tooele High School in 1949 where he was an all-state basketball player. He also played basketball at Brigham Young University, graduating in 1953 with a degree in journalism and economics. He served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Australia, beginning a life-long affection for that country and its people. On Dec. 15, 1959 he married his beloved Sharon Longden in the Salt Lake Temple. They spent the first year of their marriage in Tooele, where he worked as an editor at the family-owned newspaper, the Tooele Transcript Bulletin. They then moved to Massachusetts where he got a masters degree in public relations from Boston University and worked as the director of communications for the New England Council for Economic Development. In April 1968 he and his family returned to Utah after he was called to serve in the First Council of Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served as a full-time general authority of the church until he was made emeritus in October 2000. During those years he worked in many capacities, moving his family to Australia, New Zealand, Brazil and the Philippines due to his various church assignments. The time he spent as president of the Sydney, Australia Mission from 1976 to 1978 was one highlight of his life and he loved the missionaries that served under him. He was also executive director of the church's Missionary Department, executive director of the Historical Department and president of Nauvoo Restoration Inc. In June 2000 he was called to be the first president of the Boston Temple and it was during this assignment that he died following complications from surgery. He was a considerate husband, gentle father and faithful church leader who had a deep testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ.
He is survived by his wife Sharon; five children - Kevin, Kimberly (Tait), Hillary, Alex and Mary (McClure); their spouses - Robert Tait, Daryn McClure and Debbie Robertson Dunn; eight grandchildren - Hillary, Jackson, Ann, Grant, Abigail, Loren, Jacob and Cole; brother Joel Dunn and his wife Jill; brother-in-law Frank Newman; and sister-in-law Gail Hickman. He was preceded in death by his parents and Carolyn Dunn Newman, a sister.
A viewing will be held at Larkin Mortuary from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, May 24. The funeral will take place at 12 noon on Friday, May 25 at the Salt Lake Mount Olympus Stake Center, 3862 East Oakview Dr., Holladay, followed by interment at Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park. There will be no viewing on the day of the funeral. In lieu of flowers the family suggests contributions be made to the church's missionary fund.