John Dunn
Raymond Paul Lojko
July 4, 1943 - January 12, 2016
Worchester, Massachusetts
John Dunn, as he liked to go by in his professional life, was an accomplished artist, designer, decorator and antiques collector. In John's words to me one day on a visit to his home-studio...Bobbie, what do you collect? I mentioned a few things like sandwich glass, Wattware, pewter, etc. , with that, John said to me...don't bother collecting because I have the best of those things in my collection...where upon he opened cupboards & drawers to show me that he was right...he had the most and the best of what I collected!!! We became fast and close friends from that first visit.
The rest is history.
Back to John....
He graduated from St. Mary's High School and the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. Raymond operated his own floral business for many years...which reminds me of another fun adventure ..taking Raymond to a wholesale floral company in San Diego when he came out to teach at my store! I need to write a book on all our amazing adventures...someday....
Raymond traveled the country as an art instructor offering classes and workshops on painting techniques. His own designs of Christmas wreaths and Toleware were highly sought after...and is to this day!
He would spend many hours on his bike, riding to yard sales...he loved the great outdoors! Oh this reminds me of another funny story...while sitting in his living room, I noticed from the corner of my eye...a very handsome dog sitting by a chair...well, it was alive at one time!!! I asked Raymond about his quiet pet...and he told me the story about finding this dog in a yard sale...just couldnt leave it there all alone...must have been someone's pet at one time. Raymond was kind, generous and compassionate, almost to a fault. I saw this with my own eyes many times, oh the memories I have of him risking his life to gather seashells in a stormy surf...then giving them to a child who was waiting for her ride to school. That's not the full story..just a start.
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