Richard Ernest Dunham III, of Dublin, VA, died after a short illness, surrounded by loved ones on Wednesday, August 12, 2026 in his place of birth, Lancaster, PA.
Born to Rev. Richard E., Jr and Lois Oliver Dunham, Rich grew up tinkering with electronics and building model trains and planes, all leading to his prolific career. As an incredibly dedicated and hardworking individual, Rich was a professor of theatrical lighting design for 39 years, officially retiring as the Chair of the theatre department at Radford University this month. Educating new generations of lighting designers was important to Rich, so he dedicated tremendous time and energy into mentorship to his students and industry wide.
His work was acknowledged when he was designated a Fellow of USITT (United States Institute for Theatre Design and Technology), its highest honor. Rich’s professional work included extensive lighting and scenic designing for regional and stock theatres throughout the country including off and off-off Broadway. He was the author of the prominent industry textbook Stage Lighting: The Fundamentals (about to come out in its 3rd edition) and numerous articles. Rich earned his BS in geophysical engineering from Millersville State College, of Pennsylvania, in 1979. He discovered that theatre made a better career for him than geology so he went back to school. Rich earned his MFA in theatre design in 1987 from The Ohio State University where he met the love of his life and wife of almost 36 years, Joelle Ré Arp-Dunham.
Besides his wife, Rich is survived by their two children Richard Ernest, IV and Chelsea Aloma, married to Capt. Robert Cogan, and their son, Jamie. Also surviving are his sister, Diane Overly (Joe Overly), brother Capt. Bruce Dunham (Shelia Young), mother-in-law Aloma Arp, sisters-in-law, Jaye Arp, Jennifier Arp (Brian Bazzie), and Kathy M. Kinder (Paul Bodde). Numerous nieces and nephews also survive.
Rich was an incredibly kind individual who loved to volunteer within his local church and community. Rich underwent a double lung transplant in 2024 which allowed him an extra two years filled with his jokes and laughter, and the opportunity to revel in the delights of his first grandchild. His family is eternally grateful to the donor and their family for the extra time that their gift gave them with Rich.
Donations in his memory can be made to the Radford University Memorial Fund (his name can be found in the dropdown menu for donations on the website).