John Milton Dunmire Jr.

John Milton Dunmire, Jr. was born on January 25, 1923 in Jeannette, Pennsylvania, the son of John Milton Dunmire, Sr. and Florence Smail Dunmire. He graduated from Jeannette High School in 1940. He attended the University of Pittsburgh, receiving his degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1943. During his college years, he held temporary jobs…as a shoe sales clerk and then as a laborer on the Pennsylvania Railroad in the roundhouse, working on the old steam locomotives.
His first job was with the Elliott Company in Jeannette as a mechanical engineer until he was drafted into the US Navy on his 21st birthday, January 25, 1944. He served in the Navy during World War II and was honorably discharged on June 4, 1946.
John met Helen while he was on leave from the Navy in December 1945. After beginning serious dating, they ran into heavy parental opposition from Helen’s mother. Things came to a head when they secretly married, eloping on January 7, 1947.
During the first years of their marriage, John worked at Elliott Company, the Greensburg Machine Company, and Westinghouse, Atomic Power Division…all manufacturers of power plant equipment. In 1962, the Dunmire family, now consisting of John, Helen, Jeffrey (born in January 1955), James (born in January 1958), and Ruth (born in June 1961), moved to Annville, Pennsylvania. John took a job in the Federal Civil Service, working for the US Air Force at Olmsted Air Force Base. Congress closed Olmsted in 1965, and the Dunmires moved to San Diego, California, where John resumed his career with the US Navy, as a mechanical engineer at the 32nd Street Naval Station, retiring in 1983.
At all locations, the entire family was active and involved with their churches; First Assembly of God in Jeannette, PA, the Assembly of God Church in Cleona, PA, Clairemont First Assembly of God in San Diego, California, and San Diego First Assembly of God (now City View Church). John was always to help wherever he was needed and served as usher, choir member, and deacon from time to time.
John was very active as a super blood donor for the San Diego Blood Bank, donating over 36 gallons, and volunteering regularly as a bloodmobile greeter for many years, being honored in one recent year as Volunteer of the Year. He was an active member of the American Legion, the National Association of Retired Federal Employees, and the University of Pittsburgh Alumni Association.
John immensely enjoyed his retirement. He enjoyed traveling with Helen and visiting many areas in the continental United States, Mexico, and Canada. John and Helen recently celebrated their 74th wedding anniversary in January 2021. A highlight for John was traveling as a World War II veteran on the Honor Flight in 2016 to visit Washington D.C. His favorite pastime was reading and solving crossword puzzles with Helen. His grandson Sean, born in September 2003, was his pride and joy.
John is survived by his wife Helen; his son Jeffrey and his wife Carol (Raley) Dunmire and his grandson Sean Dunmire of Chula Vista, California; his son James and his wife Ila (Sowins) Dunmire of Mesa, Arizona; his daughter Ruth Dunmire and her husband Benjamin Macri of San Anselmo, California; and his sister Estelle (Dunmire) Shelton of Waco, Texas.