William (Bill) L. Dunn of Bernardsville, NJ and Naples, Fl walked through Heaven’s door on Monday evening, October 23, 2023. Grounded in faith, he believed in a glorious life after death, and has now satisfied his curiosity of what God had
in store for him.
Born to humble circumstances in Des Moines, Iowa, Bill was never quite certain whether his birthday fell on the 12th or 13th of January 1936, so he hedged his bets and celebrated both. He started his working life as a pressman for the Des Moines Register & Tribune, followed by a 30 year career at Dow Jones & Co. Along the way, he served as Executive Vice President, publisher of Barron’s, President of The Wall Street Journal National Delivery Service, and President of Dow Jones Electronic Publishing, among other titles. He was a driving force behind the creation of The Wall Street Journal Europe print edition. Recognized by his peers as a true visionary, way back in the 1980’s he predicted the demise of print journalism and the eventual dominance of the electronic publishing of news, now known as ‘the internet’. He used his great intellect, unflagging energy and sheer force of will to effectuate the transition from print to electronic news delivery. Bill also worked as a Senior Vice President at America Online, and served on countless boards of directors and advisory boards in the electronic publishing industry.
While his professional associations are too numerous to list, the personal associations he held most dear were as a member of The Naples Community Church, and a former member and deacon of The Lamington Presbyterian Church (Bedminster, NJ), and a lifetime member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society. He is a former member of the Lake George Club, Bolton Landing, NY. He held a B.S. in Economics, summa cum laude, from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, which he earned while working full time nights and attending school full time days. He always attributed his ability to get by on a few hours of sleep to those days of staying up around the clock. Bill’s so called ‘retirement years’ were endlessly occupied with woodworking furniture, tile and ceramics, renovating many homes, managing Iowa farmland, and reading extensively on all aspects of the intersection between physics and faith in God.
He leaves behind his beloved wife, Joanne Kennedy of Bernardsville and Naples, and his children Suzanne Dunn (Naples FL), Kara Keiser (Chris) (Califon NJ), Kristin Schweppenheiser (Brian) (Sandpoint ID), and Bill Dunn (Minturn, CO.) , as well as four grandchildren, William and Ava Keiser (Califon, NJ), and Riley and Hank Dunn (Minturn, CO). He also leaves a half brother, Jerry Pennington and his family of Dodge City, Kansas, and a beloved cousin who was more like a brother, Don Schadegg and family of Garland, Texas. He also leaves his dearest friend of more than 50 years and thousands of adventures, Charles I. Brady (Moorestown, NJ). Bill had a great love of animals, and is now reunited with his favorite dogs, Rusty and Zack, as well as many other beloved terriers and mutts.
Services at The Lamington Presbyterian Church, Bedminster NJ, on November 4th at 11:30 AM. Private inurnment at the Somerset Hills Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to St. Huberts Animal Welfare Center, Madison, NJ or The Immokalee Foundation, Naples, FL.