Brett Dunn

Brett Edward Dunn, 47, slipped away from this life Thursday, December 3, 2015. He leaves behind his two sons, Luke Allen 15 and Cole Rogers 13; his parents, Sara Jane Neal Dunn and Allen Lee Dunn of Beeville; and brother, Neal Howard Dunn (Melinda) of San Antonio. Also mourning his loss are sister, Lindee Dunn Gartman (Allen Gartman); nephews, Paul Allen (Megan) and William Edward Gartman (Jessica) with Baby William all residing in Alabama. He is also survived by his loving aunts Judy Stubbs-Grekin (Dr. Jay Grekin) and Diana Loving (Don Loving), aunt Patty Dunn with uncle Eddie Dunn; and cousins, Todd Allen Dunn and Matthew Edward Dunn; and many others. Preceding Brett were his grandparents, Ed and Flossie Neal and Howard and Ruby Dunn and his beloved uncle, Gene Stubbs. We are all left with an enormous empty void that will never be filled. Brett was born in Beeville, Texas, October 3, 1968, and greeted by his parents and grandfather Ed Neal who grinned when long time family doctor Tom Reagan said, "Ed, you've finally gotten a boy" after Ed and Flossie had raised three girls. Brett grew up in the small town of Beeville hunting and fishing as often as possible. He and his brother Neal were top cowboys and horsemen taught by their grandfather and father. Cheap family labor was what made the family cattle business profitable. Brett even hired out several times as a paid cowboy. At least seven generations of cattle carried the heart V brand registered from DeWitt, Bee, Live Oak, and Atascosa Counties and it can be seen with pride sometimes monogramed on the sleeve and boots of Dunn men. Brett was an accomplished horseman and competed throughout the state winning many buckles and awards. The highlight of many of his summers was the State 4H horse show where he made many friends and a few girlfriends and placed in reining and western riding. One summer his mother hauled him and his horse, Nifty, to the Southern Regional 4H Show in Jackson, Mississippi where the judges took notice. As a teen, Brett had a herd of Spanish goats in a 100 acre pasture fenced by his grandfather with a hot wire. He sold cabrito, on the hoof or dressed for barbeque, all done by Brett. Some locals may remember a cattle trailer with a sign "goats for sale" in the Walmart parking lot. It was quite a profitable business with all expenses of land and feed picked up by his parents. Once, after a lack luster performance in fifth grade, Brett suddenly started making straight A's. Much later his parents learned the motivation originated from a conversation while horseback with his grandfather Ed Neal. Granddaddy said he had heard about Brett's poor school performance and asked him if he wanted to grow up to become "an ass or a man" and then rode off after Brett started crying. The decision Brett made to straighten up is very obvious to all who knew him. Brett played tennis in high school, shot on a skeet team, and hunted and fished building lifelong memories with his Dad and brother. Brett went to Argentina as an American Field Service exchange student the summer between his junior and senior high school year where he made many friends, lived in a loving home in San Juan, and returned fluent in Spanish. For extra spending money while there, he made and sold homemade cinnamon rolls he learned to bake from his grandmother Flossie Neal. He also had an Argentinian fighting rooster which he named "Ed" in honor of his grandfather. Unfortunately, Ed was not a successful fighter and his career was tragically cut short. For two summers afterward his trip abroad, Brett returned to AFS and worked as an airport coordinator in New York, Miami and Los Angeles greeting exchange students, guiding others to their departures and welcoming those returning home. He lived in a New York apartment with ballerinas and other city slickers all very different from his roots but made friends easily. He even got his first manicure in New York, which he remembered as being painful. At a high school graduation party in 1987, Brett said "All my friends are wanting to get away but I'm not really that eager. My life here has been great!" He began Baylor University in the fall of 1987, pledged SAE Fraternity, made many life long friends, skied on the Baylor Water Ski team, continued to hunt and fish, and graduated with a degree in Finance in 1991. He entered Baylor Law School where he even taught the LSAT (law school entrance exam) in Waco and Austin. He and a fellow law student won the Baylor moot court competition and qualified to proceed to Washington DC. After completing law school, Brett wanted to live in South Texas to be close to the outdoors and family. San Antonio was his choice which led to his joining Clements and Spencer, the oldest firm in San Antonio, and also later worked for Pipkin and Oliver. He and former law partner Hans Lindbergh joined together as Dunn Lindbergh for several years. Later, Brett and fellow Baylor law graduate Brian Smith, started Dunn Smith with offices in San Antonio and Austin. Jennifer Hart, his long time paralegal, was someone Brett had enormous faith in and trusted her loyalty and skills totally. Brett was known as a "Bull Dog" attorney who represented his clients vigorously. He faced and won against some of the country's most prestigious law firms gaining a deep respect by his peers. He also established an oil and gas business with Bubba Riggs and David Shetler when opportunity knocked in the Eagle Ford formation of South Texas. He was a natural leader and organizer, great story teller, and a very good cook with skills originally inspired by his grandmother Flossie. You could not have a better friend than Brett who was always there for you through thick and thin. He was a problem solver who gave good, sound advice. His council was sought by friends and family. He was a man of his word and punctual and expected those qualities in others. He was most at home in blue jeans and cowboy boots only wearing a suit as needed to court. Many friends and business associates will miss him terribly. For eight years Brett was very active in AA and was a local leader in leading interventions and guiding friends and others to help and a better life through sobriety. He said the Serenity Prayer daily, "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, And the wisdom to know the difference." He inspired others to do the same when facing life's difficult issues. He was there for everything for his two sons taking them hunting and fishing the world over. A fellow Boy Scout with Cole recently wrote " Mr. Dunn, the best dad in the boy scout troop. He made us all smile when times were tough, he made us cry when things were so funny you couldn't hold it in. The best stories, the best teeth, and the best life. He made Cole and I become men by jumping off the speeding Jet Ski. For some reason that all had to end." Visitation and viewing will be held on Sunday, December 6, 2015 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Porter Loring Mortuary on McCullough Ave. in San Antonio, TX. Funeral service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, December 7, 2015 at Alamo Height United Methodist Church, 825 E. Basse Road, San Antonio, TX. A graveside service will follow at 4:00 p.m. at Glenwood Cemetery in Beeville, TX. A reception will follow the graveside service at A Box of Chocolate, 305 N. Washington, Beeville, TX. Pallbearers are Clint Ray, Justin Coldeway, Bubba Riggs, Todd Shetler, David Shetler, Greg Wright, Steve Mabrey, Ed Allred, and Hunt Winton. Honorary pallbearers are Bart Wilson, Bob Kurtz, Max Westheimer, Bart Koontz, Frank Wagner, Boyd Haugen, Edward E. Dewees III, Kelley Sechler, Ryan Rogers, and Chip Percy. There are many others missed at this time who should be named here. To them, our apology and we thank you. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Boy

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