George A. Dunaway, Jr.
1941-2024
George Alton Dunaway, Jr., was born in Ironton, Missouri on June 6, 1941, to George Alton Dunaway, Sr. and Fleeca (Clifton) Dunaway. He passed away in Edmond, Oklahoma on May 16, 2024.
George married his lovely wife Mary Susan Kilgo in 1967. This union produced two sons, two granddaughters, and four great-grandsons. After graduating from Cushing High School in 1959, he attended Oklahoma State University and subsequently University of Central Oklahoma graduating in May 1965 with a B.S. in Chemistry and minors in Mathematics, Physics, and Microbiology. The following year he entered the University of Oklahoma as a graduate student in the Chemistry Department and graduated in May 1970 with a PhD in Biochemistry.
George completed six years of postdoctoral research in Pharmacology and Cell and Molecular Biology, beginning at Indiana Purdue University School of Medicine and State University of New York in Buffalo, New York. The entirety of his academic career (1975-2010) was at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield, IL.
Over the thirty-one years that he conducted research, he was awarded thirty-two research grants had five graduate students, nine postdoctoral students as well as sixty-four peer reviewed journal articles, thirty-nine abstracts, presentations at international and national research meetings and three DNA sequences by the NIH GenBank. He was Associate Editor of Brody’s Human Pharmacology: Molecular to Clinical, authoring and editing the section Drugs Affecting the Endocrine System. After his long research career, he dedicated his academic career to full time graduate and medical education.
George was involved with many organizations both University Committees and Departmental Committees as well as Baseball Coach, Boy Scouts Eagle Review Committee, Board of Directors of the Lincoln Heritage Soccer League, and the Board of Directors of the American Heart Association, Illinois Affiliate.
While in Springfield, George and Susan built a beautiful English Style Garden at their home of which he was so proud. After George retired in 2010, they moved to Sarasota Florida and then to Edmond, Oklahoma in 2014 to be near their grandchildren and great grandchildren.
George is preceded in death by his parents, son John Patrick Dunaway and daughter in law Terri Sue Dunaway. He is survived by his wife Mary Susan, son Brian Dunaway, Oklahoma City, OK, granddaughters, Mary Elizabeth “Liz” Dunaway, and Sarah Jane Dunaway (Chris Parks), great grandchildren, Braxton, Cassius, Cayson, and Kyler. He is also survived by his brothers, Larry Dunaway and wife Dorothy of Sarasota FL and Richard Dunaway and (Jill) of Stillwater, OK, Nephew, Abram Dunaway, CO and Niece, Stephanie Dunaway Carrington, TX.
In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the George A. Dunaway Sr., Diabetes Fund at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL or the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City.
A Memorial Service will be held on Wednesday, June 12, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. at Matthews Funeral Home Chapel in Edmond, OK. We will be live streaming this service in an effort to accommodate those people that wish to attend but are not able to. To watch the service CLICK HERE to go to our YouTube page. Click on ‘Videos’, then ‘Live Streams’.
George was a classmate in Cushing, OK. A great friend since the ’40s through thick and thin, and some very memorable adolescent experiences. We have embellished those stories at class reunions ever since. Our 65th high school graduation reunion is this weekend and George will be missed by all of us. Beth and I send our condolences to Susan and each of his family members. RIP ‘Georgie’.
I met George a few years after he and Susan married, but I really got to know him after they moved here to Edmond. George was am intelligent, kind, gracious man, but the thing I enjoyed most about him was his unique, tongue-in-cheek sense of humor. George will be greatly missed by all his family and friends. I am very glad I got to know him better these past few years.
Our CHS Class of 59 will really miss George Saturday at our 65th Class Reunion!! He always seemed to enjoy coming to our all our Reunions….our Class was so proud of him when he was inducted in the Alumni Hall of Fame for 2019.
Sending love and prayers to Susan and family.
My husband Tom Kasten was one of George’s graduate students and worked in George’s lab prior to going back to school to achieve his doctorate. George was a leader, mentor and friend to Tom and was instrumental in Tom’s success in his career. We saw George a few times after Tom began his research career in the St. Louis area but lost touch after a few years. George’s influence remained a firm base for Tom’s research and we are thankful for that time and effort. George’s dry humor was offset by Susan’s sparkling smile and personality. Our heartfelt condolences to Susan and the rest of the family during this time of loss. Michele and Tom Kasten