Ian Dunn, whose deep voice and personable writing style were well-known in the Leavenworth area, died Saturday at Central Washington Hospital in Wenatchee. He was 60.
His brother Charlie Dunn confirmed the death. Dunn was diagnosed with ALS in spring 2021 and died of complications related to the neurodegenerative disease. ALS, short for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, causes the brain to lose connection with the muscle.
Ian Dunn
Former World sports editor and staff writer
Dunn is survived by three children, Theresa, Ashleigh and Nicholas; and siblings Charlie, Carolyn and Christina.
“He was kind of a quiet guy … but once you got him talking about anything he always had really interesting things to say about it,” said Carolyn Dunn. She added, “He was loved by lots of people.”
Dunn grew up in Leavenworth and graduated from what was then called Leavenworth High School, now Cascade High School. He graduated in 1985 from Washington State University’s Edward R. Murrow College of Communication with a degree in broadcast journalism.
Dunn was a fixture in local media. He worked for KOHO 101 FM from 1999 to 2006 and then as an editor for the Leavenworth Echo from 2007 to 2018. His last stop was with The Wenatchee World: 2018 to 2022.
Away from the mic and keyboard, Dunn was a sharp trivia player, a lover of movies, particularly sci-fi films like “Star Wars” and “Blade Runner,” and an avid fan of Northwest sports.
Sports were never far from his attention.
In the summers of his youth, Dunn learned to golf by sneaking onto a local course with his brother after it closed in the evening. He was for years the play-by-play voice of Leavenworth high school sports. In the last decade of his life he developed a love for pickleball and hiking.
For The World, Dunn worked first as a sports editor and then as an education reporter. In 2021, he wrote the story that accompanied a viral photo by Don Seabrook of a Wenatchee High School band class practicing their instruments inside small, green tents. It’s one of The World’s most read stories of the past three years.
But perhaps his most impactful story may have been of himself. In June, Dunn wrote candidly of ALS and the toll the disease placed on his body.
“In my future are a feeding tube, a ventilator to help me breathe and probably a wheelchair,” Dunn wrote. “No matter what, I’ll try to keep the positive attitude I’ve had my whole life and keep pressing on. I will press for an early retirement.”
It was his final story for The World. Charlie Dunn said his brother kept his word.
“He just rolled with it. Never got down on it,” Charlie Dunn said. “He just said, ‘OK, I can’t do this now, so I’m going to do it this way.’ All the way to the end.”
Pete O’Cain is a graduate of Central Washington University, served in the Marines Corps and covers public safety in Chelan and Douglas counties. He also leads The Wenatchee World’s wildfire coverage.
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