On Wednesday, May 15, 2024 Lila Jean Dunnaway, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and great-great-grandmother, passed away at age 90. 

Jean was born on October 3rd, 1933 to George Edward Bell and Dorothy Valeda Weethee in Yates Center, Kansas. Jean was an only child. Through mutual friends, she met and married James (Jim) Edward Dunnaway, and the two were married on September 20th, 1952. Jean and Jim had 7 children together: Steve, Laurie, Mark, Robin, Keith, Kelly and Dan. Jean and Jim now have over 100 direct descendants.

Jean, or Granny as she was lovingly called by her numerous progeny, was well known for her love of her family and her sense of humor. As a younger woman, Granny had a dream of becoming an archeologist or an architect, but as her family grew (and continued to grow), she prioritized the caretaking of her children. In her own words, Granny could often be found ‘piddling around the house’, picking things up, preparing meals, chatting with her family, or one of the many things that needed doing in a busy house. Regardless of what was going on around her, Jean had a gift for making people feel important, loved and heard. Granny loved game shows, card games, BYUTV, puzzles, and any other activity that allowed her to spend time with people she loved. She loved and served her family throughout her life, often in quiet or unseen ways, but has left an indelible legacy of love for all those who came into contact with her, from Perry/Warner Robins, GA, to Centre, AL, and finally to Broomfield, CO. She is remembered fondly by her descendants, who will miss her dearly, but take comfort knowing she is reunited with her beloved Jimmy. 

Jean was preceded in death by her husband, James Edward Dunnaway, her parents, George and Dorothy, her son Mark, and her grandson Brian. She is survived by her sons Steve, Keith, Kelly and Dan, her daughters Laurie and Robin, as well as 38 grandchildren, 55 great-grandchildren, and 3 great-great-grandchildren. 

Hells bells Granny, we are going to miss you. 

Writing an obituary for Granny is difficult, because in some ways I didn’t know that much about her. A large part of that is that Granny didn’t like to talk about herself, and she preferred knowing what was going on in your life. In so many quiet ways, Granny has been a tremendous impact in my life. Teaching me how to shuffle, (or trying to), watching movies and tv shows with her, talking with her, and being loved by her have been amazing experiences. I’ve learned a lot about what kind of person I want to be from her. That its ok to do things in your own Granny way, as long as you’re happy doing it like that. That you don’t need a lot of titles or accomplishments to make a tremendous impact in the lives of people that you love. I am truly going to miss her. 

And I hope her halo doesn’t make her hair look funny in the afternoons. I love you, Granny. 

Love,

Ryan