John Charles Lunde

John Charles Lunde, 88, a near life-long resident of Port Washington, died peacefully Monday, Jan. 27, at St. Francis Hospital surrounded by his family. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, and recent great-grandfather, and dearly beloved himself by his family.

Mr. Lunde was born in Flushing, Queens, in December, 1925, to Henry J. Lunde and Anna (Harms) Lunde. He attended the Port schools into high school, and then graduated from Peddie School in Hightstown, NJ.

Throughout his high school career he pitched and starred on the baseball team, with a subsequent invitation to try out for his beloved Brooklyn Dodgers.

In 1944 he joined the Navy, leaving in 1946 on the V12 plan by which he attended Union College and Denison University. He later joined his father’s architectural mill working business, Henry J. Lunde, Inc., taking over ownership in 1970 until his retirement.

He was frequently sought after to provide high quality, specialized cabinetry and millwork for many notable institutions, such as the Cooper-Hewitt National Museum of Design in New York City, and many high-end homes on Long Island.

In his later years he enjoyed traveling the U.S., to Europe, to Bermuda, but most especially to his summer home on Lake Champlain in North Hero, VT. He was a lifetime sports fan, especially dedicated to the NY Mets and the NY Giants.

Mr. Lunde is survived by his wife and soul mate of 64 years, Anne (Bevins) Lunde; a daughter, Diane Dana Dirkes, and her husband Peter R. Dirkes of Mill Neck, NY; a son John Henry Lunde and his wife Karyn Lunde of Charlotte, VT; four grandchildren, Peter Todd Dirkes and his wife Kate (Dehne) Dirkes of Charleston, SC; Christin (Dirkes) Linchitz and her husband Michael Linchitz of Garden City; Caitlin B. Dirkes of Charleston, SC; and Henry A. Lunde; one great-grandchild, Charles R. Linchitz; a sister Dorothy (Lunde) Johnson and her husband Harold Johnson; and several nieces and nephews.