Paulette Dobynes Dunbar (Lansing)

Paulette Dobynes Dunbar, 72 years young, passed away unexpectedly in the early morning hours of July 25, 2023.

Born in Detroit, Michigan to Preston and Queen Ella Dobynes, she was the eldest of their four daughters. Paulette spent her childhood forging her way with her trademark calm, insight, adaptability, and exquisite intellect, graduating from high school with honors and paying her way through Marygrove College to study nutrition and public health.

Later earning a Master’s Degree in Public Health Administration from the University of Michigan, she gained employment with the State of Michigan where she fully realized her professional calling working to create programs to support at-risk families throughout the state. Her passion for helping others was shown through the public assistance programs she developed, using her empathetic understanding and professional insight to spearhead the publishing of multiple pieces of literature regarding civic service shortfalls that she both authored and co-authored.

She stayed that course for almost forty years while raising two sons on her own. Recently retired, she found immense peace and joy in providing pro-bono community tax education and service support, traveling with family and friends, tending her tremendous flower garden, and most especially, enjoying every moment she could with her grandchildren.

Paulette is survived and will be sorely missed by her son Derek (Erin) Dunbar and his children Elena and Zachaias; her son Ryan (Heather) Dunbar and his children Audrey, Atticus, and Archer; three sisters Barbara Jeter, Geraldine Dobynes, and Elaine (Darryl) Brown; nieces Teresa (Darwin) Walker, Danielle Brown, Kristen Brown and her son Elijah; dear friend Geraldine Perry; and a broad host of family, close friends and colleagues that were inexorably drawn to her steadfast moral compass, her determination to do right by her community, and the warm light of her love and spirit.

Honoring her wishes, cremation has taken place; a memorial service will be held in the Greater Lansing area towards the end of August. In lieu of flowers, those desiring may consider donations in Paulette’s memory to the Tri-County Office on Aging or Women’s Center of Greater Lansing.

The family wishes to express their sincere gratitude for all the presence, love, phone calls and myriad other expressions of concern and support that have been offered during our time of bereavement. Your every act of kindness has given us strength and inspiration in this hour of need