Ken Nunn, the founder of the Ken Nunn Law Office and a longtime supporter of Indiana University athletics and local charities, died on December 24, 2025. He was 85. His family confirmed he passed away surrounded by loved ones.
Born in March 1940 in Jeffersonville, Indiana, Nunn’s life was a study in grit, raised in a single-parent household and at times homeless.
He dropped out of high school before returning to finish his education, encouraged by his future wife, Leah.
He earned a B.S. in Business from Indiana University in 1964 and a J.D. from the Indiana University School of Law in 1967.
Nunn opened his practice in Bloomington in 1967, starting literally at a card table and folding chairs.
Over the next fifty years, he transformed that modest beginning into one of the state’s largest personal injury firms.
The Ken Nunn Law Office grew to employ dozens of attorneys and staff, handling thousands of injury and wrongful death cases across Indiana and securing significant recoveries for clients.
He began in criminal defense but found his calling representing injured people, building a practice defined by aggressive, client-first advocacy.
Bloomington attorney and IU supporter remembered for decades of service and impact
Colleagues say Nunn liked to quote Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird, and he saw lawyers as the last line of defense for ordinary people up against powerful institutions.
That fighter mentality guided case strategy and public outreach, and it made him a pioneer in modern legal advertising in Indiana.
Nunn’s impact reached beyond courtrooms. He was a generous supporter of Indiana University, backing athletics, scholarships, and campus projects, and an active donor to local nonprofits such as the Boys & Girls Club, Monroe County YMCA, and the Red Cross.
He also provided practical support to law enforcement and first responders, including trauma packs and similar donations.
Those efforts earned him recognition from IU and the wider community; university honors and longtime philanthropic ties underscored how his success translated into local investment.
The human side of his legacy is visible in the tributes pouring in. His daughter, Vicky Nunn Jarrett, who has worked at the firm since 2001 and was inspired by her father to become an attorney, will lead the office going forward.
In a family post, she wrote:
“The Hero, Father, and Grandpa of our family passed away yesterday morning. We loved him so much and we looked up to him to guide us. Dad was ALWAYS there to help, give his opinion or just give a hug. Dad, you will be forever missed and we love you.” That closeness to family and staff was a throughline of his life
Grandson Jimmy Nunn captured the combination of toughness and tenderness that defined his grandfather.
“My grandfather was my most important person in my life. He made an impact not only to his family and friends but also to the community. Ken started off with no money as a boy, and not knowing if he had a proper home to go to after school. Ken built everything he had from the ground up, working up to 60 hours a week his whole life. He was the toughest fighter I knew, and cared for his clients and the people around around him every day.”
Coworkers like Stormi Jones said Nunn valued loyalty and hard work and credited his success to the team he assembled: “Ken loved his family, his clients, and the law with all his heart.”
These voices reflect a man who expected intensity at work and offered care outside it.
Bloomington residents remembered smaller, telling moments: buying lemonade from children on Lemonade Day and leaving large tips, handing a Mickey Mouse toy to a child in a restaurant, and checking on clients during recovery.
Friends described him as a town character who never let success change him. “One of the greatest characters a town full of characters ever produced,” Steven Higgs wrote.
Those anecdotes show why Nunn’s impact was both legal and personal, legal victories, plus countless small acts that mattered to neighbors.
Professionally, Nunn earned listings and awards that recognized his courtroom results and influence in the specialty of personal injury law.
He was listed among Indiana Super Lawyers and held memberships in national trial lawyer groups, reflecting both peer esteem and a long record of high-value recoveries.
