Jack Cunningham passed away at home on January 28, surrounded by the love of his family and with his sense of humour fully intact. Jack was born in Montreal, the sixth of eleven children, and married Shirley Cunningham (n. McElroy) in 1951. Jack and Shirley had eight children, twelve grandchildren and three great grandchildren, and shared a love that endured through sixty-four years of marriage. They cultivated a close-knit family that has continued to grow over the last sixty-nine years.
In 1966, Jack and Shirley loaded seven kids into their station wagon and moved from Montreal to Vancouver. From Tsawwassen to Langley to UBC, they have spent their best years as a family on the West Coast. Predeceased by his wife, Shirley, and his son, Gary, Jack filled his time in retirement sharing his views on world events, politics, and life in general. He was known to liberally offer his opinions with his own unique flair and an obvious sense of gusto. As his mobility became more restricted in his later years, he begrudgingly retired from the ‘nearly pro’ golf circuit but maintained his circle of good friends and was a frequent visitor to his beloved Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club.
Jack’s notorious tendency to cook up adventures never waned during his lifetime and his appetite for travel took him to many places. He developed his wanderlust during his years working in international shipping, where he had opportunities to visit a variety of commercial centres. From working as a transportation guru for a large company in Montreal to opening and growing his own transportation-services business in Vancouver in 1966, his voracious appetite to see new places only grew with time. After retiring from the helm of his thriving family business, Jack turned his attention to dreaming up wild itineraries to wonderful places. Only a week before he passed, he tried to convince his family to pack his suitcase and take him to the airport.
Jack was known amongst his friends and family for his great generosity of spirit. He supported the wide-ranging activities and interests of his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, and never shied away from offering his thoughts on what his loved ones should do, or how they should do it. His hilarious, gregarious and frequently outlandish manner of living has left us all with stories that will only grow larger-than-life with time. The memories we have for the retelling of our brother, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather since his passing have kept us laughing and will shape the legacy of a truly unique and unforgettable person.
A few months before he passed, Jack received wonderful end-of-life care at the St. John Hospice. In recognition of their efforts, and in lieu of flowers, donations may be made In Memory of Jack Cunningham to the Order of St. John Palliative Care Foundation (stjohnhospice.ca/ways-to-give/). After the passing of his wife, Jack also set up a fund for nursing education at the St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation. Donations may be made to this program via the St Paul’s general giving page (www.stpaulshospital.org/foundation/donate/index.php) by specifying that they be directed to the ‘Shirley Cunningham Nursing Education Fund.’
Many thanks to all those who attended to Jack over his last months. Particular gratitude is extended to Patricia Contreras, for persistently showing up to offer Jack her listening ear, Merson Magnaye and Jay Piollo, for their kind-hearted focus during his final months, and Dr. Ali Farahani, for all of his attentive and responsive care.
A service will be held at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club Sunday, March 1, 2020 at 12:30pm.
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of John Jack Fredrick Cunningham December 211927 January 282020..
Death notice for the town of: Vancouver, Province: Colombie britanique