Robert Eugene Dunham Passes

Robert Eugene Dunham, age 90, of Oswego, IL died Tuesday, January 3, 2012 at Bickford Cottage of Oswego, IL. 

He was born August 28, 1921 in Portsmouth, OH the son of the late LeRoy and Freda nee Stewart Dunham. Robert retired as a Major from the United States Army Reserve.  He left The Ohio State University where he played basketball to serve his country when his National Guard unit was activated during WW II.  He served as an enlisted man and non-commissioned officer with artillery units in the Eastern US protecting the coast, then in Curacao.  He was accepted for Officer Candidate School, commissioned as a Second Lieutenant, and then attended flight school in Florida and became an Army Air Corps air crew member.  

While in Florida he met the two great loves of his life: WAC Rosemary, and the B-17 bomber.  He was decorated while flying both combat missions and relief missions over Europe as a bombardier in his beloved B-17 Flying Fortresses with the 388^th Bomb Group out of Knettishall, England.  Bob flew missions in Heavens Above, Solvang Revenger, Our Love, Lil’ Baby and Sweet Lorraine, as well as planes unnamed. He continued his career in the Army Reserve, and finished serving a final year as a sergeant with a Minnesota National Guard at sixty years of age to address a retirement point discrepancy.  Bob was very proud of keeping up with the young soldiers that year, attending all runs, marches and bivouacs.  

He was an executive with Montgomery Ward for 30 years prior to his retirement.  In recent years, he was employed as a ranger at Fox Bend Golf Course for 12 years. 

Survivors include his four daughters Candice (John) Schaper of Oswego, IL, Constance (John) Hancock of Maricopa, AZ, Roberta (Richard) Swoik of Plainfield, IL, Leigh (Paul Goble) Dunham of Lutz, FL and a son Scott (Danica) Dunham of Buffalo Grove,  eleven grandchildren, thirteen great-grandchildren and a sister Martha Gilmer of Portsmouth, OH. 

He was preceded in death by his beloved wife Rosemary Dunham.

Visitation will take place on Friday, January 5, 2012 from 4:00 to 8:00 PM, with a funeral service at 7:30 PM, at the , LTD.  210 South Madison Street  Oswego, IL.  Cremation will take place at American Crematory in Oswego, IL followed by burial in Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis, MN on Monday, January 9, 2012. For additional information call, 630/554-3888.