In Memory of Earl R. Cunningham

Obituary

Earl R. Cunningham of New Hartford, NY passed away peacefully in his home surrounded by family on November 21, 2020 after a brief battle with cancer. Born on September 6, 1930 in a neighborhood of the Village of New Hartford known as Sleepy Hollow, Earl was the son of Carson Burdick Cunningham and Irene Haggerty Cunningham.

Earl was predeceased by the love of his life, his wife Sara Hayes Cunningham, and his brother Gerald Cunningham of New Hartford. Earl is survived by his six children, Stephen C. Cunningham (Nina Cangiano) of Hastings-on-Hudson, NY, Kevin M. Cunningham of Providence, RI, M. Carol Cunningham Harrison (Curtis) of Virginia Beach, VA, Brian F. Cunningham (Cathy) of Ashburnham, MA, Joanne E. Cunningham (Brent Meredith) of Delmar, NY, and Maureen O. Cunningham (Paul Miller) of Delmar, NY; his fifteen grandchildren, Daniel, Andriana and Carson Cunningham, Elizabeth, Zachary, Andrew and Tessa Harrison, Olivia and Casey Cunningham, Ella, Hayes, Grace and Reilly Meredith, and Cole and Jackson Miller; his beloved sister Joan Carroll of New Hartford; his sister-in-law Alice Gorton of Utica; and 27 nieces and nephews, including his nephew Marty Gorton of Utica who was a good friend during his later years.

Earl was a 1948 graduate of New Hartford High School, where he was an exceptional student, senior class president, and one of the top golfers on the varsity golf team. He was not planning on attending college due to financial circumstances until his high school English teacher, Miss Daly, contacted him in August 1948 to tell him that she secured a scholarship to LeMoyne College that fall. Earl went on to earn a business degree, graduating from LeMoyne in 1952, after hitchhiking weekly between New Hartford and Syracuse to earn money working as a waiter and caddy at the Yahnundasis Golf Club on weekends.

Earl served in the US Army during the Korean War in the 25th Infantry Division, achieving the rank of Sergeant First Class, and was awarded the Combat Infantry Badge. Earl started his professional career with a brief stint at Dun & Bradstreet, before transitioning to General Electric, where he worked for thirty-five years negotiating contracts with entities such as the US Navy and Japan. He held many fond memories of his trips to Washington, DC and Japan, and the Japanese friends he made. Upon his retirement from GE in 1990, he began what he intended as a brief retirement career, working part-time as the Treasurer of the Village of New Hartford. He retired from the village in June 2020 after 28 years.

Earl and Sara met in high school, but did not unite until after college when Earl took a train to Colorado, where Sara was working as a teacher, to win her love. They got married in 1956, beginning fifty-nine years together. A moving testament to Earl’s undying commitment to Sara was his many years as her caregiver as Alzheimer’s disease increasingly compromised her health, caring for her up until she passed away at their home in 2015.

Earl was a dedicated father to his six children and a loving grandfather, known as “Poppy” to his fifteen grandchildren. He was always ready to pull out his old report cards as a way to encourage good grades. A member of the Little League Board for 25 years, he also coached youth baseball for years and was an integral part of the Mohawk Containers' Little League championship team in 1971, beating a team with two future MLB #1 draft picks. He is remembered for jokingly waking up his children with an old army song, “Oh, How I Hate To Get Up In The Morning.” Earl also ran a family “business” through a paper route that was passed down to each of his six children over nearly two decades.

Earl’s favorite extended family gatherings involved camping at Eighth Lake in the Adirondacks, beach house vacations where he joked that he swam with the dolphins each morning at dawn (though he never swam), and international trips with Sara to Europe, South America and Africa. While Sara was alive, extended Sunday dinners with family at their home was a mainstay, always starting with a Manhattan cocktail with Janet Durr and other neighbors. He also hosted an annual Adirondack Christmas week vacation that became a family tradition. Earl was a masterful Hearts card player and his children and grandchildren were always striving to beat him with his own strategy. He also loved his close-knit group of New Hartford friends, with whom he played bridge, golfed, and talked politics. Earl loved to read, especially biographies. He was a big sports fan, and enjoyed watching golf, tennis, baseball, and college basketball, always rooting for the underdog.

Earl served as an elected Trustee in the Village of New Hartford from 1975 to 1980, and when first elected, was the first Democrat to win a seat in over 70 years. He also won elected office as an Oneida County Legislator, representing New Hartford from 1980 to 1986. These elected positions reflected his lifetime involvement with the Democratic Party and support to Democratic candidates. At the age of 86, Earl travelled to Ohio in the final weeks of the 2016 presidential race to campaign door-to-door for Hillary Clinton, and two years later campaigned door-to-door for Anthony Brindisi for Congress. He was an active supporter of many social, environmental, and racial justice causes.

Earl held a firm belief in the power of education. Starting in the 1990s, he and Sara mentored many students at the Thea Bowman Center in Utica. Through the years, Earl changed the life of dozens of young people, including Ebony Palmer and Montinique Ellis, both of Utica. Ebony became like a daughter to him, and he was extremely proud knowing that she will earn her bachelor’s degree next month, which was made possible due to his financial support and mentorship.

Earl’s lifelong commitment to his community is part of his enduring legacy. He secured federal grants that resulted in the Point School becoming the Village Point Apartments. He supported the New Hartford Historical Society and the New Hartford Fire Department, and negotiated the agreement that produced the vast parking lot behind the village businesses to ensure ample parking for residents. Earl was passionate about the New Hartford Public Library, helping launch the first library and eventually seeing the new library on Oxford Road come to fruition with a small group of friends, first serving as Chairman of the Building Committee and later as Treasurer. Earl and Sara were also longtime members of St. John the Evangelist Church in New Hartford, and he served several years as the leader of their annual HOPE Appeal.

Earl lived his life centered on community, purpose, and a deep love of family and friends. He was generous with his time and his resources, and leaves a profound legacy to his family and community through his lifelong efforts to make the world a better place. There will be a private burial for Earl at the convenience of the family. A public mass and celebration of Earl’s life will be announced and held in 2021. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Cunningham Fund for Thea Bowman Scholarships, 2608 Genesee Street, Utica, NY 13502 and the New Hartford Public Library, 2 Library Lane, New Hartford, NY 13413. Or you can follow Earl’s example... and volunteer, donate and make a difference in this world!

Arrangements are in the care of Friedel, Williams & Edmunds Funeral and Cremation Services, New Hartford.