Obituary of Stuart Cummings Dunphrey

Stuart, or “Stu” as he wanted his friends and associates to call him, left us in peace on Monday February 13, 2017. If he were seated next to me now, he would want all of you to know that he was tired and ready to go to his Heavenly Home, where he would see his Mother, Jannette; his Dad, Charles his wife, Beverly and other good friends who passed on before him. He would also want you to know that he had a special place in his heart for each and every one of you, his friends and family. First his daughter, Wendi, who so like her Mom, was a great support and lit up his life with her joy; next Alyssa, his granddaughter, who was so like her “Papa” they could almost finish each others sentences. And Michael, his treasured son, who was so helpful and trustworthy over the years and through difficult times. His business friendships grew out of his dedication to providing the very best copier and office machine support in the Rochester area. As a young man in his early twenties, he began working as a salesman for a small office machine company, called “Business Methods”. He later left his employment there to begin his own company: “Dunphrey Duplicating Company” where he sold duplicating machines of all kinds, including mimeograph machines and ditto machines. As his company grew, he added small calculators then larger electronic calculators, then large copiers, and later desk-top copiers and also changed the name to “The Office Equipment Company”. The turning point of the growth of his company happened when a Japanese sales associate from a company called “Canon” appeared in his office one day and asked whether he would be interested in taking on a brand new copier product they were developing when it was ready to be sold. Expected date for the finished product was five years. But Stu was excited about the prospect of this new copier and settled in to wait until they had the product in hand. In just eighteen months, Stu was presented with their new copier, ready for its debut into Stu’s market and customer base. The company soon grew by leaps and bounds, but the company’s Philosophy never wavered: don’t just provide our customers with their copier; stand by them for technical support, stop by or call after the sale to assure all is going well, go the extra mile, look ahead to bring them their future needs and always, trained technicians available for any eventuality. Not only did Stu remain a step ahead of his competition in the copier business, he applied the same philosophy to a business he acquired in the early 90s. He was intrigued with the restaurant business and with his wife, Bev, bought into ownership of the former Buccaneer restaurant. It was ideally located on the water at the southernmost tip of Lake Ontario on Empire Boulevard and its new name became “The Bounty.” This new restaurant was soon to become A Rochester ‘Landmark Restaurant’. He not only hired outstanding wait and management staff, he also brought on board one of the best chefs in the Rochester area–Earl “the Pearl” Young–who created delicious entrees and menus that included a host of mouthwatering choices you could actually understand! When the adjoining Marina became part of The Bounty Restaurant family, Stu was delighted to be able to provide the restaurant premises for the boaters to freshen up and then enjoy a delicious meal after a day on Lake Ontario. His entrepreneurial spirit, together with his love for people sparked another idea: why not make this property come alive with music and lights and people having fun outdoors? With the help of his creative technical staff from the Office Equipment Company, mainly one gentleman in particular whose name is Kevin Cole, lighting displays were created on the water’s edge behind the restaurant, that could be seen for miles. Then he added an outdoor bar and bands and music to the property, regularly bringing in popular groups people recognized and loved. So was born “The Bounty Harbor” in Rochester, NY., a small reprieve from our harsh Rochester winters that he had created for people to gather and enjoy friends, good music, good times and make happy memories. Sadly his wife did not live to fully enjoy these good times, but passed away in December, 1992. But they loved to travel together and occasionally explored warm, distant places often times with friends. Stu didn’t like our Rochester winters, so he gradually began to ease up on long hours at work and to spend more time where it was sunny and warm. He was happy on the golf course and his clubs could always be found in the trunk of his car. He was also an avid Buffalo Bills fan and would go a distance to see their games. His great passion though was music, all kinds, from opera, to classics, to rock, and country. He loved telling funny stories and most of all, making people laugh at his jokes. He made many friends, far and wide, on cruise ships or in restaurants as a patron, reaching out to the next table for a good laugh with whomever was there. He shared his generous spirit in so many ways and he will be greatly missed. The last chapter of Stu’s life occurred when he met, through a mutual friend, then married, Suzanne Turnquist, who worked as an administrator of Heritage Christian Home, a human services organization in Rochester, NY, now known as Heritage Christian Services. They were married at the Bounty restaurant site overlooking Lake Ontario on June 30, 2001 with many family and friends as guests. He wanted to make his new bride happy by showing her the world through his eyes and taking her to places she had never been before–he would surprise her by planning cruises to Hawaii, cross-country train trips to California (twice), and an astounding trans-Atlantic cruise to Southampton, followed by a cross-country train ride through Italy that included Venice, Florence, and finally Rome to see the Pieta and the Sistine Chapel! Later settling into retirement in Florida, Stu found joy in golfing with Suzanne, making new friends and together, providing a welcoming home in sunny Florida where his family and friends could visit and relax and be entertained by his wonderful, funny and loving stories. Stu is survived by his wife of 15 years, Suzanne, his children, Wendi Verno and Michael Dunphrey; stepdaughter Amy (Joe) Powers,stepson Andy (P.J.) Turnquist; brother Robert (Kate Crowley) Dunphrey; grandchildren Alyssa Verno and Victoria Powers; stepmother Maria V. Dunphrey A Memorial Service is planned to honor and remember his life, at 11:00 a.m on Saturday, March 25, at White Haven Memorial Park, 210 Marsh Road A, Pittsford, NY 14534. The family would like to invite those who knew him to attend. A reception will follow.