Read at Hedy Dunn’s memorial service, June 20, 2026, at the Unitarian Church in Los Alamos
Hedy Dunn had been working part time as an assistant at the Los Alamos History Museum in the early 1970s when she walked into her office one day and found a set of keys on her desk. The previous director had taken a new job in Virginia, so Hedy, an art major in college, received a baptism by fire into her new job. To mix metaphors, she took that job by storm. When she retired 33 years later, her impact continues to touch every facet of the Los Alamos Historical Society.
Hedy’s art degree came in handy. From the beginning, she showed her design talent creating beautiful permanent and temporary exhibits. She inspired and trained docents, organized staff and volunteers. Together, they created meaningful programs like the annual lecture series. She dealt with county bureaucracy with aplomb and ensured her staff had as many resources as she could muster – especially in the early days as they oversaw the preservation of some of the world’s most important history.
She enhanced the museum shop, supported important publications, and encouraged tours of the Historic District.
Throughout her directorship, she kept saying that she was doing the work of an Executive Director for the part-time pay and title of “Museum Director,” but she persevered.
From Georgia, former board member, tour guide, and docent:
In 1985, I started a guided van touring business in part to help visitors find the History Museum. Much information and many tour-guiding techniques I learned from Hedy. She would attend museum conferences and bring back to the docents techniques she had learned from others in the Museum business.
Back then, most docents crossed-trained in all areas of the museum operations.
With Hedy, some of us docents did some fund-raising for the Historical Society where we had a lot of fun while benefitting the Historical Society:
—With the historic home tours in Los Alamos, she along with volunteer Irene Powell obtained permission from the private homeowners on Bathtub Row and some original post-war housing.
—The biggest event of our “careers” as historic fundraisers was the Valle Grande open house in 1992 when it was still a private ranch. That was a big two-day event and included grandson of the Baca Location Founder. Frank Bond, jr., as speaker at the LA Historical Society Annual banquet. For getting into the Valle Grande, tickets were sold and crowds were controlled by transporting participants by bus shuttles between Los Alamos and the Valle Grande. What a “heady” experience!
From Heather, her successor as director:
Hedy Dunn was my longtime colleague, mentor, and friend. We shared an office in Fuller Lodge for seven years, where we shared not only history but our lives, the lives of our children and her grandchildren, of whom she was incredibly proud. We had a lot of fun while working to develop a strong board of directors, getting a new space for archives, and figuring out how to raise money for all the goals we had. We also shared (lamented?) our husbands’ mutual love for old, broken-down cars. But, hey, they are historic!
Once, not too long before she retired, Hedy went to visit her sister back east and broke her ankle while trying to maneuver – of all things – a Segway. Because of the stairs to our office in Fuller Lodge, she was out for three weeks, and it was during those weeks that I realized how much I depended on her guidance and input.
Therefore, I appreciated so much that she remained on the board of directors after she retired. She never questioned my judgement after I took on her old job. She continued to offer great advice – but only when asked – and used her many contacts to continue supporting me and the society and its work.
In her calm but determined manner, Hedy brought her leadership and design skills to bear on developing the Los Alamos Historical Society and its Museum into the force it is in Los Alamos today. She will be missed, but her influence will always remain.
From Sharon, long-time board member as volunteer Publications
Chair, and friend:
A poem
We will always love you, Hedy Dunn.
You have left us too soon, our friend, but it would never have been enough.
It would have always been too soon.
The words and the beauty to feed our souls would never have been enough.
There were more words to be said, but there always would have been.
We will always remember your words as we move on, missing you.
We are sad, but we will always have you.
There were many more words to be said, but would always have been so.
We will always love, Hedy Dunn.
