Joseph Laurence Dunaway

Joseph Laurence Dunaway was born on October 18, 1957, to John and Louise Dunaway in Stillwater, Oklahoma. He was the third of ten children.

Joe grew up between Stillwater, Krebs, Welch, McAlester, and Oklahoma City. He was a smart, talkative kid with a penchant for adventure and storytelling and an appetite for knowledge. He once lost half of a finger, and everyone who heard about it heard a different story of how it happened.

In his teen years the family lived in Oklahoma City, where he fell in love and started building a life with Alison Holly Stubbs. With the support of both of their big families, serious work ethic, and deep love and devotion, Joe and Alison chose parenthood early in life. They had Marie first, then Angela in Plano, Texas. Then they returned to OKC and had Joseph, Genevieve (who Joe delivered himself on Northwest Expressway), and John Philip. He was an exceptionally present and steady Dad, the gold standard for other dads and a surrogate father figure for many.

Joe worked hard and excelled at many jobs over the years, including restaurants, 84 Lumber, Home Depot, and Oklahoma Property Investors. He also started Village Art Lamp Company with his in-laws, a successful venture that sustained dozens of families for twenty-two years. Joe’s intellect, creativity, and natural ability to teach himself any skill made him irreplaceable in every setting. He could also walk faster than most people can run, and he was happy to prove it, even mid-sentence. So, keep up if you can. And if he suddenly needs a nap while you are still talking, go ahead because he can probably still hear you.

Joe was witty and perceptive. He was serious, too, and had strong beliefs and opinions, but he always found a way to make everything funnier and easier. He was always the smartest and most articulate person in the room, though he never pursued formal education. He noticed everything and had a protective streak from which his children benefited the most.

He gave excruciating knee grabbers and could do the invisible ball and paper bag trick better than anyone. And if scathing one-liners was a second language, he was fluent.

Joe spent decades in the Knights of Columbus, as a member of the Oklahoma Council No. 1038 (third degree or "fraternal" order), and the Chief Justice Kane Assembly (fourth degree or "patriotic" order). He held many leadership positions in the Knights. He was a problem-solver for 1038's affiliated Columbus Corporation in north Oklahoma City, particularly the Santa Fe Family Life Center's multi-sports activities, including adaptive programs for handicapped persons.

Joe was a talented carpenter, self-taught plumber, electrician, and old home remodeler, a troubleshooter for anything that needed repair, an avid reader, and a helper. He was a lover of black licorice, liver and onions, Mexican food, cashews, and Folger’s coffee.

He liked old Jaguars and low growing evergreens, but he disliked cannas that grew too fast and effusive attention. He would have hated this.

Joe died unexpectedly and suddenly on Friday, August 14, 2026, in Oklahoma City.

By the time of his death, Joe had loved well not only his wife and all five of their kids and their spouses but also eight grandchildren. He and Alison were planning a big family trip to California for Thanksgiving, another trip to Alaska, retirement, and much more. Dad was finally building a new shop behind their home on 41st street. He was excited for the future and left many plans on the table and many broken hearts behind. Nothing will be the same without him.

He is preceded in death by his parents Jack and Lousie, stepmother, Ina Lynne Dunaway, parents-in-law Rex and Mary Jo Stubbs, two siblings, and two siblings-in-law.

Joe is survived by Alison Dunaway, his wife of nearly fifty-three years, five children, Marie Wreath (husband Brandy Wreath), Angela Tucker, Joseph Dunaway (wife Halee Dunaway), Genevieve Dunaway (husband Andrew Solomon), Philip Dunaway, eight grandchildren, Jocelyn Hartley, Dante Wolfinger, Jessica Yeverino (and husband Alex Yeverino), Chloe Tucker MacKenzie Tucker, Greg Dunaway, Connor Dunaway, and Abbott Dunaway-Solomon, seven siblings, countless nieces and nephews, and hundreds of friends and colleagues who would call him a brother.

He is profoundly missed.

Memorial Mass is at Our Lady’s Cathedral, Wednesday, August 19, at 1 pm. Please consider donating to the Santa Fe Family Life Center or The Center of Family Love in Okarche, a project near to Joe’s heart.