Citadel Alumni Deaths

Commander Gene Trayser Dunaway, USN, Ret., of Charleston, 81, died
November 2, 2009 at the Hospice Center in Mount Pleasant, SC after a
prolonged illness with Parkinson’s disease. Gene Dunaway was born in
Pine Bluff, AR on December 30, 1927 to Witt Allen and Dorothy Trayser
Dunaway. His Dunaway ancestors settled the Arkansas Territory. He
attended the Citadel for one year and then accepted an appointment to
the United States Naval Academy. He graduated from Annapolis in 1950 and
later obtained a Masters Degree in International Business from George
Washington University. He was a U.S. Navy line officer for twenty years
- retiring in 1970 as a Commander. After his Naval retirement he worked
for the Nestle Company in White Plains, NY and later for the Eaton
Corporation in Danbury, CT. In 1998 he retired to Charleston, SC, his
wife’s birthplace. As a Naval Officer, Cdr. Dunaway saw service aboard
numerous vessels: rubber rafts directing shore bombardments, wood hulled
minesweepers, and helicopter carriers. He served two combat tours in
Korea and was an advisor to the Turkish Navy in Golcuk, Turkey. He was
Commanding Officer of the USS Vesole, a destroyer. Later he worked at
the Pentagon and the Center for Naval Analysis. After retiring from the
Navy he lived in New Canaan, CT for twenty eight years. His family would
say that staying in one place for twenty eight years was to make up for
the 19 moves in twenty years in the Navy! In Connecticut he was a
principal fundraiser for Hospice of Connecticut and served on the Water
Board of New Canaan. In Charleston he enjoyed belonging to the Bund, the
Naval Academy Association, the Friends of the Daniel Library, and the
Charleston Library Society. Most of all he loved travelling all over the
world with his wife and sons. He and his wife of 57 years, Joyce Conlon
Dunaway, were married at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in
Charleston. He is survived by his wife; his sons and daughter-in-law Dr.
and Mrs. Michael Trayser Dunaway of Camden, SC and Rhett Conlon Dunaway
of Charleston, SC; his grandchildren Michael, Yancey and Sally Dunaway,
all of Camden, SC; and his brother and sister-in-law, Mr. and Mrs.
William A. Dunaway of St. Louis, MO. The family will receive visitors at
the James A. McAlister Funeral Home, 1620 Savannah Highway, this
Thursday evening between 6:00 and 8:00 PM. A Prayer Service will begin
at 7:30 PM. Interment will be at Arlington National Cemetery. In lieu of
flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Charleston
Foundation, 676 Wando Park Boulevard, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464. A
Condolence may be made to his Guest Book at www.charlestonfunerals.com
Arrangements by JAMES A. MCALISTER, INC. 766-1365. Visit our guestbook
at www.postandcourier.com/deaths.

Tags: 1949