J. Robert Lunney

As a veteran of both World War II and the Korean War, J. Robert Lunney was noted for his courage and resourcefulness, particularly during “one of the greatest marine rescues in the history of the world” at Hungnam, North Korea in December 1950. A graduate of Cornell Law School, Bob had a long career in litigation. He was also part of many committees and charitable organizations. As a founding member of the Lavelle Fund, Bob constantly reminded us that the Fund was founded on the principles of Catholic social action and that we were accountable to the donors of the endowment fund and loyal supporters of the Lavelle School (where he served on the Board for over 40 years). Bob pushed us to enlarge our giving focus and geographic boundaries. His diligence in preparation was legendary, carefully reading every report and grant application. He was the first Chair of the Audit Committee and served on the Committee until retirement. He was proud to have only missed one Board meeting in twenty years.