John Dunlop

John Dunlop passed away at his home November 3rd after a brief illness. He was 80 John was born in Aurora, Ill. on Feb 5, 1929 to Winifred and William Dunlop. He graduated from East High School in Aurora in 1947, from Macalester College in St. Paul Minn. in 1950 and from the University of Illinois Medical School in Chicago in 1955. He moved to the West coast for an internship at Pierce County Hospital in Tacoma, Wash. Following his internship, he entered the Air Force as part of the doctors’ draft in 1956. He was stationed at McCord AFB in Washington and Travis AFB in California during his two years in the service. Upon discharge, John and his family relocated to Bremerton, Wash. where he joined another physician in a private practice. Not satisfied with general medicine, John entered residency at Kaiser in Oakland, Calif. and became board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Clarkston, Washington became home for the Dunlop family in 1963. He opened a solo private practice and practiced there for twenty years. When John’s three children were attending college, his sense of adventure took him to various corners of the world where he practiced medicine taking on locum tenens assignments. He opened The Women’s Clinic on Guam with his partner Bill Freeman in 1989. John returned to Washington in 1993 and retired from medicine in 1999. As a young man John was an avid outdoorsman who loved camping, fishing, hunting, backpacking, snow skiing, gardening, boating and more. He was a good bridge player and enjoyed playing until he became ill. He became interested in flying and earned his private pilot’s license in 1970. For nearly 20 years he flew himself and the family to destinations around the country. He was an accomplished pianist and thespian. He could play show tunes and popular classics on his piano or organ simply by looking at a list of song titles. His love of music and theater came together when he played the leading role of Prof. Harold Hill in the Lewiston (Idaho) Civic Theater production of The Music Man. He served as director and vice president on the Board of Directors of the theater and was involved in productions for more than 10 years. His other interests included Macintosh computing, photography, reading, knitting, and brewing his own beer. He was also a doting father, always interested in the activities and achievements of his children. Upon moving to Port Orchard, Wash. in 1993, John discovered Banner Forest, where he wore out three mountain bikes. He enjoyed hiking and biking in the forest and was frequently found clearing trails after a storm with his chain saw or pocket saw. He made many signs to mark the trails. His regular companions in the woods were his dogs. Indeed, one of the constants in his life was his love of animals, particularly his beloved line of Labrador retrievers. He regarded his dogs, including Angus, Beau, Burleson, Susie, Marley and Cleo as members of the family. Marley and Cleo survive their master at their Port Orchard home. John married Mary H. Heintz in 1955 and they had three children together before divorcing in 1965. John claimed he met the love of his life, Peggy, on Guam in 1988. The pair shared a love of scuba diving, outdoor activities, and traveled to countless destinations in Asia and the Pacific while living on Guam. They married shortly before moving to Port Orchard to be near family in 1993. John is survived by Peggy, his sister Diana of Port Orchard, son Pete and his wife Laura Renner of Portland, Ore., daughter Nancy and husband Jim Fairweather of Port Orchard, daughter Elizabeth of Kingston, New York, daughter Leah Knox of Memphis, Tenn., stepdaughter Amanda Irwin of the home, and stepson Billy of Long Beach, Calif. He also leaves grandchildren Alexandra, Bradley, and Victoria Fairweather of Port Orchard, and Shane and Lily Perkins of Memphis. John was preceded in death by his sister, Nancy Jean, and both parents. An open house to celebrate his life and see the family will be held Saturday, Nov 21st at the family home from 1 to 4pm.  In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Kitsap Humane Society or the Great Peninsula Conservancy ( www.greatpeninsula.org ) Please designate Banner Forest.