Carroll Dunnum; Downey Councilman, Mayor, Judge

Carroll M. Dunnum, who worked for incorporation of the city of Downey and went on to become its mayor and then a judge, has died.

Dunnum died March 30 in a Long Beach hospital of an aneurysm, said his wife, Janelle. She said Dunnum was adamant about never discussing his age. He was believed to be 84.

After Downey’s incorporation in 1956, Dunnum served on its first City Council and was twice elected mayor. He resigned in 1961 when then Gov. Edmund G. “Pat” Brown Sr. named him to the Downey Municipal Court.

“Twice the mayor of Downey, he has shown maturity, leadership and wisdom--three qualities essential to the bench,” Brown, a Democrat, told The Times when he appointed the Republican lawyer.

Dunnum, who had also served on the Downey school board, remained on the Downey court until 1970, when he was elevated to the Los Angeles Superior Court. Assigned to Long Beach, he heard civil and criminal cases until his retirement in 1988 and then continued to handle trials and arbitrations as a private judge.

Born in Minneapolis, Dunnum moved to the Downey area as a young man. After studying accounting, he earned a law degree at Loyola University.

In addition to his wife, Dunnum is survived by one son, Monte; two daughters, Carolyn and Ann; one stepdaughter, Judy; and one grandson.

The family has asked that any memorial donations be made to the American Heart Assn.