A few days ago, we got the word that Charles Dunn, M.D. of Coral Gables passed away at the age of 87.
You will find his obituary from the Miami Herald here: https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/herald/name/charles-dunn-obituary?id=56089864
To all of us who value passenger trains in Florida, Charlie was a hero. The undisputed "dean" of passenger rail advocacy in the state, Charlie's plain spoken, direct way of communicating and persistence paid off in improvements in passenger rail in Florida.
A respected Miami physician who practiced family medicine for decades, Charlie was a founder of FCRP, a longtime NARP/RPA Board member, and a fixture at passenger rail functions.
Among Charlie's many "wins" were the successful advocacy for Amtrak stops in Palatka and Okeechobee, both over Amtrak's initial reluctance.
He strongly supported the creation of Tri-Rail and backed the construction of the Tri-Rail/Metrorail transfer station in Hialeah--something which FDOT hadn't previously considered. Arguably, that transfer station is what made Tri-Rail viable.
When Amtrak and FDOT sought to discontinue the state-funded Tampa-Miami Silver Palm service in 1984 based upon faulty accounting and political pressure, Charlie was there. With dollars collected in a pass-the-hat campaign, FCRP sued the state--and won--keeping the train running until April 30, 1985 (FDOT ultimately outlasted and outspent FCRP in appeals court).
Recent successes in Florida, including expanded Tri-Rail, new Brightline, and new SunRail services, have proven that Charlie and the "old guard" of FCRP were correct all along. Passenger rail is indeed the answer.
And as for Tampa-Miami service, these days it's provided by Amtrak's Silver Star. It is immensely popular, so much so that Brightline will serve the Tampa-Miami market within this decade. And FDOT, once the antagonist, now advocates for the service.
A legend has moved on--but he has left us with so much. Our sympathies, and gratitude, are with the Dunn family right now.
FCRP will place a commemorative brick at Tampa Union Station honoring Charlie's work and well-lived life.
--Jackson McQuigg