January 5th 2010…Hockey Hall of Fame, Toronto Canada
The hockey world lost one of its most beloved sports writers when Dickie Dunn was taken from us tragically.
Dunn was in Boston covering the 2010 Winter Classic between the Boston Bruins and Bo Daly’s pathetic Philadelphia Flyers. He was found the night of January 1st frozen and nude in a snow bank in left field of Fenway Park.
“He was discovered by a groundskeeper around 11:45pm,” said Sgt. Dilbert Pickles of the Boston City Police. “It appears from all indications that there was no foul play even though he was close to the fair play line.”
“He was clutching his favorite number 2 pencil in his right hand and except for his glasses, he was completely naked.”
Boston CSI ascertained that Dunn forget his lucky pencil and returned to get it after he had gone back to his room for the night. Dunn had been diagnosed with a form of dementia called Pick’s disease in 2005. He has had recent episodes of forgetting to get dressed and not returning home. A Boston Police official believes Dunn didn’t know where he was, stood there, froze to death and fell into the pile of snow.
“I was getting ready to go in and turn off the lights when I stumbled on something in the snow,” recalled groundskeeper Harden Long. “I took this picture.”
Richard “Dickie” Dunn was born March 22nd 1935 in Ogdensburg, a small town in northern New York, across the St Lawrence River and a short drive from the birthplace of hockey, Kingston, Ontario.
He went to elementary and high school in his hometown then had a decision to make on universities. He lived close to Canton and Potsdam where St Lawrence and Clarkson Universities where located.
In his autobiography “Over and Dunn” Dickie spoke of his decision for higher education.
“Only dipshits and knuckleheads go to Clarkson,” lampooned Dunn. “It was a no brainer to attend St Lawrence.”
After college, Dunn travelled and worked in Canada as a cub reporter for small town papers until he landed an internship with the Toronto Globe and Mail.
Sportswriter and Hall of Famer Scott Young said this of Dickie at Dunn’s Hall of Fame induction in 2002.“The Dickster had a Shakespearean way of putting the game down on paper. He could see nothing and make something of it.”
“My favorite article was his interview with the Pope after his rec league game with the Pagans.”
Dunn returned to the USA and took the position of sports editor of the Charlestown Times-Herald.
“I met up with some real characters on that 1977 Charlestown Chiefs championship team,” recounted Dunn in his book.
“I never met a group of guys that could play hockey and drink like that. And that coach, Reggie Dunlop, had more bullshit than a cattle farm.”
The Charlestown Chiefs won the Federal League championship that year on a forfeit.
Dunn went on to report at every World, Olympic and Stanley Cup championship. He was a contributor to Sports Illustrated, Field and Stream, Hockey News, Otter Blog, USA Today, Hockey Digest and Busty Beauties. He wrote and compiled books like Total Hockey, Century of Hockey, Shoot the Puck, Keep Your Head Up and Two Hands on The Stick.
“As I’m the top in my game of sports casting, Dickie was that in writing the stories,” articulated Don Cherry. “He was never a good dresser like me though!”
Dickie slowed down in the last few years and picked the events and articles that he wanted to write about.
“Out of all the games and championships that I have followed none have compared to the Friday night Otters winning their first Keg” Dunn had said in his book.
“Those hockey players were a wacky band of misfits. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life.”
As per Dickie’s wishes, his viewing and funeral services were held in Canada. He became a naturalized Canadian citizen in 1962.
“I had only one regret in my life,” Dunn said in his memoirs. “I wish my parents lived about five miles more to the north. I would have been born a Canadian and had a chance to play hockey rather than writing about it. Most Americans think “icing” is something on a cake!”
About 15,000 mourners, including hockey royalty who arrived from across the country and Canada, attended the three twenty minute periods with ten minute intermissions for beer memorial service at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto.
Longtime friend, architect and fellow scribe Gary Ahern of the Ice Oasis Redwood City Otters gave the eulogy.“Dickie was an inspiration to me. I feel like he was a part of me,” whimpered Ahern. “I just don’t know if I can go on.”
Dunn’s casket was carried the one block distance from the Air Canada Centre to his resting place in the Hockey Hall of Fame by these six pallbearers:
Dunn was predeceased by his wife of 28 years, Francine, and surviving are his two sons Dr. Count Dunn, a proctologist in Los Angeles (lots of assholes there) and B. E. Dunn #3758493 in Folsom (serving an 8-10 for sports memorabilia fraud).
The family requests in lieu of flowers, send hefty donations to the Otter-Camel beer fund in care of the law firm Beatem, Cheatem and Howe, Woodside California.
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