Funeral services will be Thursday at 11 a.m. in the Bigelow Chapel at Mount Auburn Cemetery, 580 Mt. Auburn St., Cambridge, Mass.

Dr. Gunnell was born at Portsmouth, Va., to Louise L. (Scrivner) Gunnell and Thomas J. Gunnell of Bartlesville, OK. She grew up in Virginia, Kentucky, Texas and Oklahoma. She was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate at the University of Kansas where she majored in psychology.

She had been a career and professional development consultant in private practice at Arlington, Mass., since 1981. She worked with men and women on choosing careers, dealing with work problems, and developing professional and managerial skills. She then lived in Lexington, Mass.

She was a mentor to many talented professionals. Dr. Gunnell also provided consultation to organizations on leadership coaching, reorganizing and team building. At the time of her death, she was a consultant to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection through UMass Boston's Donohue Center.

Dr. Gunnell was a workshop leader and teacher. She gave seminars on career development and organizational behavior at many universities, colleges, professional organizations and private corporations.

Between 1979 and 1985 she was assistant professor in the Department of Management of the Barney School of Business and Public Administration at the University of Hartford in Hartford, Conn., and taught Organizational Behavior and Developmentrat the Massachusetts School of Professional Psycholog between 1985 and 1989.

Dr. Gunnell also was an accomplished pianist and story-teller.

Survivors include a sister, Jana Gunnell, M.D., of Berkeley, Calif.; several friends and professional colleagues.

In lieuof flowers, donations in her name may be sent to the Wornen's Center, 46 Pleasant St., Cambridge, MA 02139 or to the American Cancer Society, 247 Cornmonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 02116.