Donald Dunham grew up in southern California. He was an avid surfer in his youth. He is the son of Bett Walton and Stan Dunham and has one sibling, Diane Crary. He is married to Annette Gieseke, a classics professor and Harvard graduate. Donald and Annette have two Irish Setters, Cosmo and Echo. He is an architect in Philadelphia and has two lovely nieces, Eryn and Caitlin Crary.