William Joseph Dunne of Old Saybrook, Conn., a former longtime resident of Rye, N.Y., passed away peacefully on October 30, 2023. He was 90.

Born in Clarecastle, Ireland, on July 4, 1933, he was the son of Margaret (Considine) and James Dunne. Before emigrating to the United States in 1957, he also lived in Templemore and Clonmel.

He met the love of his life, Margaret (Pearl) Meldrum, while in college. They were married in Dublin, and spent 60 happy years together, over 50 of them in Rye.

He earned an MBA from NYU and B.S. degrees in Civil, Mechanical, and Electrical Engineering from University College Dublin. He served in the United States National Guard and was a partner in Jansen & Rogan, Consulting Engineers in New York City.

William Dunne loved his family, his Irish Wolfhounds, sailing on Long Island Sound, and playing his melodeon.  

He was predeceased by his wife Pearl in 2017, and by his sister, Pearl Quigley. He will be dearly missed by his children, Michael (Dana), David (Peggy), John (Karen), Sheila (Jim), and Lynda (Mike); his seventeen grandchildren: Casey, Molly, Rory, Kieran, Mairéad, Ian, Aedan, Nicole, Elizabeth, Patrick, Margaret, Katie, Liam, Emma, Mikey, Carley, and Meghan; and his four great-grandchildren, William, Lilly, Gram, and Griffin. He is also survived by his siblings, Claire and Brendan Dunne. A Requiem Mass will be held Friday, November 3, at 11 a.m. at St. John’s Roman Catholic Church in Old Saybrook, Conn.