Jerome R. Dunham died one minute after 1 a.m. in the critical care unit at Providence Everett Medical Center on Friday, Aug. 3, after a day surrounded by family and close friends.

He lived on Whidbey for about 20 years, for many years on Dreamland Lane off of Lone Lake Road.

He was born in Benton Harbor, Mich., on Oct. 18, 1921, to Bertha and Ernest J. Dunham. They resided on the family farm in Stevensville, Mich.

Jerry, nearsighted throughout childhood, became totally blind at age 16 from detached retinas, which were unable to be repaired at that time. He continued his high school education at the Michigan State School for the Blind in Lansing, and then went on to Michigan State University and the University of Michigan where he obtained his bachelor of arts and master of science degrees in psychology.

He worked as a home teacher and rehabilitation counselor of blind individuals in Michigan, Arkansas, Florida and Kansas and also became an administrator of rehab programs.

Jerry was selected to study the innovative methods of rehabilitation developed by the armed forces during World War II in order to bring the travel and independence training that benefited newly-blinded veterans to the civilian population. He then sought further education by obtaining a teaching fellowship in experimental psychology at Texas Technological University in Lubbock, Texas, and completed his Ph.d degree in the early 1960s. He became director of the Washington State Rehabilitation Center for the Blind in Seattle and several years later became director of state services for the blind.

In later years, his work included being director of a five-state, deaf-blind program and the state school for the blind.

Jerry served on as many as 12 community boards in Seattle, and was working on collaboration between the various disability groups. He recognized that blind, deaf, mobility-impaired and other disabled people had more in common than their separate needs and was an early developer of the organization Citizens With Disabilities.

He taught evening classes at the University of Washington and then became a full-time faculty member in the rehabilitation department of Seattle University.

He retired and moved to Whidbey Island where he enjoyed 20 years of gardening, and working with the Tilth sustainable agriculture effort and the South Whidbey Historical Society.

On Dec. 20, 1959, he married Charlis (Smason) Greenwald and became stepfather to Marc and Abby.

He had another son, Mark Dunham, and grandchildren Shena and Daavia VanSpronsen and Eve and Shira Smason-Marcus.

Jerry was deeply interested in many things, and his research led him to teaching himself the piano and learning how to judge the tactile arts. He was also a great lover of history.

Jerry was very devoted to his family and friends, and many people in Seattle and Whidbey enjoyed the hospitality and warmth of the Dunham home. He lived a full rich life and contributed greatly to his community.

A memorial on Whidbey will be held at the Saratoga Club at a date to be announced in a later edition of The Record.