Emily Elizabeth Dunn, 23: Was happy and on top of the world with new job, city

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By Rick Badie

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Emily Elizabeth Dunn founded Well Dunn Entertainment, an artist relations and hospitality company, when she was 18.

Special Emily Elizabeth Dunn, a 23-year-old Atlanta native, died Friday after being struck by a San Francisco Muni bus while in a crosswalk.

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After college, the Atlanta native moved to San Francisco for what she called her dream job, assistant to the project manager for Superfly Presents, an event production company. She was hired because of her experience working at festivals like the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Tennessee, according to The Examiner. She moved to the city July 22.

"I know she was happy and on top of the world," said her mother, Deborah Dunn of Atlanta.

Mother and daughter talked daily, several times. They chatted Friday, roughly three minutes before Ms. Dunn was struck and killed by a bus while in a crosswalk at the intersection of 18th and Hartford streets in the Castro district, one of the city's most vibrant communities. She was 23.

Monday, a memorial was held at the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco. A candlelight vigil, arranged by Chris Willcox and others, took place the next day in New York City. A local memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Atlanta.

In 2006, Ms. Dunn graduated from the Lovett School, where she was a National Merit and Advanced Placement scholar. She was a theater stage manager, editor of the school's literary and art magazine, as well as a photographer and designer. She traveled extensively before college, spending four months in China, three months in India and several weeks in Egypt and elsewhere. She worked several years to pay for the travel and, for her high school graduation, requested gifts of money to help offset expenses.

Ms. Dunn was a Danforth Scholar at Washington University in St. Louis, where she'd initially planned to major in photography. Her extensive travels brought about a change of heart, though, and she double majored in religious studies/Buddhism and environmental science. Her minor was in art photography.

At Washington University, she coordinated WILD, a bi-annual musical event. She was an independent contractor for various music festivals, working with companies like Suite Treatments, Inc., an event decor company based in Oakland, Calif.

"She worked with me on several festivals," said Jacque Delazzar, owner of Suite Treatments. "To think she did that while going to college and pursuing a double major is pretty outstanding. She was so hooked."

Atlantan Melanie Reusch had known Ms. Dunn since they were toddlers.

"Emily and I were like sisters," she said. "We did everything together. Our families had dinner every Sunday night."

Rick Farman, a partner at Superfly Presents, told The Examiner the music lover had been helping the company set up an office in the city.

"She was truly wise beyond her years," he said. "She made a lot of relationships in our world in a very short period of time. Everyone was really looking forward to working with her, and right now we're just devastated."

Additional survivors include her father, Chris Dunn; a sister, Amanda Dunn; grandparents Mary Houston and Joe Houston, all Atlantans.