Dunn Electric Supply Founder Passes Away
Thomas Richard Dunn of Dunn Electric Supply, Binghamton, New York, passed away on August 8. Born on March 11, 1948, in Utica, New York, he was the oldest of 11 children and was very proud of being the loving leader of his 10 younger brothers and sisters. Tom enjoyed a very active childhood and showed a passion for a variety of sports, most notably skiing, sailing and long-distance running. He would go on to captain the Providence College track team and was a top competitor in the 1969 Boston Marathon. Tom enrolled in the ROTC at Providence College and served his country as a first lieutenant with the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War.
In 1973, he married Toni White, of Whitesboro, New York, his beloved wife for 48 years. After years of working with his father Richard and brother Bob at the M&L Electric Company, Tom and Toni founded Dunn Electric Supply Company in 1986 in Binghamton, New York where they worked side by side ever since.
He was a very active member of the community, serving as president of the Endwell Rotary Club, active in the Endwell little league organization and guiding seven Boy Scouts to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout as Scout Master of Troop 209. Always enjoying a joke and a laugh, “have you heard the one about…?” was a common phrase you could hear him say as he told you his latest joke. His delivery was impeccable, his charm was infectious and his warmth made everyone around him feel better. Tom truly brought a smile to everyone he encountered and insisted upon “always leaving them laughing.”
If you would like to honor Tom’s memory, please consider donations to either Church of the Holy Family, Endicott, New York, or the American Cancer Society.
Former Standard Electric President, CEO Passes Away
Laverne Norman Weber, better known as "Vern", 85, passed away on October 15. He was born on July 11, 1936, in Auburn, Michigan. After graduating from T.L. Handy High School in 1953 at age 16, he sailed the Great Lakes on the SS William P. Palmer ore carrier. He enlisted in the U.S. Army, Signal Air Defense Engineering Agency, as a radar repair specialist on the Missile Master system protecting Washington, D.C., stationed in both New Jersey and Maryland.
Vern joined Standard Electric Company in 1963 to open and manage its Bay City location. He was promoted to Saginaw District sales manager, district manager, vice president and president in 1988. He served as the president and CEO at the Saginaw headquarters until his retirement in 2017 at the age of 80 after 54 years of service with the company. He grew the company from three to 30 branch locations throughout Michigan and Indiana during his tenure.
Vern had a way of treating employees as family, while helping them to be the best they could be. He truly cared about each and every one. Someone once asked Vern what the secret was to making Standard Electric a success, and he replied, "I was fortunate that God gave me the ability to hire good people".
Besides being a strong leader, advisor, and friend to many, Vern, above all, was a godly man who lived his life by Christian principles and morals. He and his wife, Yvonne, were long time active members and supporters of St. Mark Lutheran Church.