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3.20.2003
Kevin J. Dunn, 37, of Attleboro; contentment was hard-earned
It had taken him years, but Kevin J. Dunn finally had everything he wanted.
He had a wife he loved, the child he'd always dreamed of, a full-time
job he enjoyed, and most importantly, he was sober.
"He had just turned his life around," said his mother, Teresa
Dunn, of Quincy, Mass. "He hadn't had a drink since May 12, 1995
. . . when he'd have a problem, he'd call up, and say he just wanted to
hear my voice, and then things would be all better. He was very happy."
Mr. Dunn, 37, of Attleboro, had bounced around from job to job and from
place to place after graduating from Quincy High School. He struggled
with alcohol for much of that time, and spent many months in homeless
shelters across the state, his mother said.
Then, eight years ago, with the help of friends and family, he found
Alcoholics Anonymous. He confronted his own problem and then he became
a beacon for others, a helping hand who would use his own experiences
as proof that the addiction could be beaten.
Dozens of the people he'd helped came to his funeral to pay their respects.
"As far as the outpouring of people who came to the wake and the
funeral, it was heart-wrenching," his mother said. "People from
the [AA] meetings would turn to me and say he helped them."
Her son loved roller-coasters, the music of Aerosmith, and all sports
-- he was particularly looking forward to seeing the Red Sox on the Patriots
Day holiday in April.
For the last three years, he had been a sheet metal worker with Environmental
Systems Inc., in Attleboro.
Kevin married Eileen McCarthy in September 2001, and the two had a daughter,
Joanna, in February 2002. The entire family came together early last month
to celebrate Joanna's first birthday, and his mother said Kevin seemed
genuinely happy. He'd told her for years that all he really wanted was
a loving wife and child, and a stable, steady life. She believes he'd
found it.
-- Daniel Barbarisi
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