Charleen Voorhees Dunn

Charleen “Charsie” Voorhees Dunn was born on August 19, 1942 to William and Josephine Voorhees of Long Beach, California.  She attended Poly High School where she was a cheerleader and drama star.  She later graduated from the UCLA with a master’s degree in English Literature.  While at UCLA she was active in the Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority and was Sigma Nu Fraternity White Rose Queen and Queen of the Military Ball.  After graduation, she met the love of her life, Jerry Dunn, on a blind date.  It didn’t take him long to figure out that Charleen was “the girl of his dreams.”   Two dates in, he popped the question, and they were married shortly after in California on August 6, 1966.  Jerry and Charleen moved to Colorado where Charleen taught High School English for a couple years and then put her considerable talent into raising her four children.  She balanced motherhood with her love of service and became active in the community.  Charleen was a community leader, volunteer and supporter who was involved in, among others, the Denver Fine Arts Foundation, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, the Women’s' Library Association, Denver Center Alliance, Central City Opera, KMRA Channel 6, and the Gathering Place. She raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for numerous nonprofits and chaired a number of fundraising events, including Saturday Night Alive and the Fine Arts Foundation Debutante Ball. For her many contributions, she was awarded Citizen of the Arts in 2001. She wore many hats, but her favorites were wife, mom, Nana, and GG.  She was legendary for her wit and her holiday cards poking fun at her family.  And she never slowed down.  After stepping down from her many volunteer positions she and Jerry traveled the world and made “the loop” to visit friends and grandkids several times a year.  They spent their golden years traveling across many continents and collecting many memories. Charleen was preceded in death by Jerry Dunn (husband) and William Casey Dunn (son).  Charleen is survived by her daughter Stephanie Erin Dunn, son Joseph Bryan Dunn, son Michael Corey Dunn, grandchildren: Kendall Hardy, Casen Dunn, Connor Blue, Ryan Blue, Finley Dunn, and great grandchildren Remington Hardy and Bowen Hardy.  She died peacefully surrounded by family and a revolving door of friends. Her last weeks were filled with love, laughter, tears, stories, jokes, and wine.  Upon her death, her grandkids each offered one word to describe their amazing grandmother: Adventurous, Elegant, Wise, Poised, Supportive, Gracious and Strong Willed.  She was truly one of a kind and will be forever missed and forever in our hearts.