Robert N. Hunn, 57, attorney, volunteer, father and husband

Robert N. Hunn, 57, of Blue Bell, a medical-malpractice attorney who dedicated much of his free time to helping people who struggled with homelessness, disabilities, and their mental health, died Tuesday, Sept. 4, of aortic valve disease at his home.

"He was always trying to help people — that's when he was in his element," said his sister, Lisa Hunn Barber.

A runner and an avid tennis player, Mr. Hunn started every day with a cup of coffee and the Inquirer's crossword puzzle, according to his wife, Shari Reed Hunn. She first met Mr. Hunn on a blind date at Noodle Heaven in Center City and said she noticed "his great sense of humor" right away.

Mr. Hunn grew up in Lansdale, and was known to watch his favorite films over and over again, especially Raging Bull.

He graduated from North Penn High School in 1979. He earned his bachelor's degree from Gettysburg College in 1983 and graduated cum laude from Widener University School of Law in 1986.

He worked as a partner at Kolsby, Gordon, Robin & Shore, where he represented people who were injured through medical and other professional malpractice or faulty or mislabeled products. He also handled personal-injury and employment-related claims.

In 2005, a family went to Mr. Hunn when their daughter suffocated in a bed designed for special-needs children. He helped negotiate a successful settlement with Vail Products Inc. The case led the Food and Drug Administration to shut down the company, after it became clear that other families suffered similar deaths.

Mr. Hunn took leadership roles in several nonprofits. His work as a board member and chair of Pathways to Housing PA helped provide housing and supportive services for the chronically homeless, including those with disabilities and military veterans.

"He would tell me that once you take the stress out of their lives, it's easier to overcome addiction," his wife said.

When his older son died of an overdose of Benadryl, Mr. Hunn looked for a way to help adolescents, teens, and young adults struggling with their mental health. That's how he became involved with Minding Your Mind, which provides mental-health education and works to reduce the stigma and destructive behaviors associated with mental-health issues.

"I was amazed that he was looking for ways to help others so soon after the unimaginable loss of his son," said Minding Your Mind executive director Trish Larsen. "He also thought that maybe if Jeremy had heard a story of hope and recovery, he may have made a different choice. Bob's heart was always in it and it showed."

Besides his wife, he is survived by his son Noah and his mother, Margaret "Peggy" Hunn. His father, Stanford S. Hunn, died in 2016.  His son Jeremy David Hunn died in 2012. He is also survived by brothers Andy and Richard, sister Lisa, and nine nieces and nephews.

Services were Sept. 6.

Memorial donations may be made to the Jeremy David Hunn Fund at Minding Your Mind, 124 Sibley Ave., Ardmore, Pa. 19003, an organization that works to raise awareness of mental-health challenges and suicide prevention. http://mindingyourmind.org/resources/jeremy-david-hunn-fund