Episode 47: Kay Dunning; A Small Town Life Can Hold A Big Story

Send us Fan Mail A small town can make your life feel straightforward, right up until you zoom out and realize how many unlikely turns it contains. Kay (Haas) Dunning grew up in Haines, Alaska, with a family story that starts in the 1950s with the US Army, the Haines tank farm, and a mom who chose Southeast Alaska as home after falling hard for aviation and the north. We talk through the kind of local history you only learn by living it, how places change (and how names like “tank farm” never really leave), and what it meant to come of age in a community where everybody has to pitch in.   From there, Kay and I trade memories of fort life, school days, sports travel across Southeast Alaska, and the wild-normal things kids did for fun, like springtime bay plunges followed by ice cream. She also shares a coming-of-age stretch that is equal parts funny and moving: being pushed into a scholarship pageant she didn’t want to do, winning it anyway, traveling to nationals, and carrying a piece of home with her during a hard moment for Haynes.   We also get into aviation and marriage, including how she and Rick got together, what long-distance looked like before texting, and how a pilot career can shape every family decision. Kay opens up about starting down a physician assistant and nursing track, changing course, and eventually finding her place in education for decades, plus what retirement looks like when “home” starts calling again. If you love Alaska stories, small town life, community theater, volunteering, and real-world resilience, this one will stick with you.   Subscribe for more conversations, share this with someone who misses their hometown, and leave a review so more listeners can find Doug Has Questions. What part of your past still feels like home?