William (Bill) Reid Cunningham

William “Bill” Reid Cunningham, age 91, passed away Monday, November 24, 2025 at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis, TN, with his daughter Lynn and son Mark at his side, after a short illness. He was born in Erie, PA October 9, 1934 to mother Dorothy Reid Cunningham and father James Harold Cunningham.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, James Cunningham, and sister-in-law, Mae Cunningham; his sister, Rosemary Cunningham; and his niece, Susan Ames Welles.

He is survived by his devoted wife of 66 years, Patricia Weichman Cunningham; his daughter, Lynn Cunningham van Dongen, and son-in-law, Ben; his son, Mark William Cunningham, and daughter-in-law, Carye Thomas Cunningham; his granddaughters, Emma and Ellie van Dongen; his sister, Dorothy Ann Cunningham; dear friends Buddy Urso and Meg Allin, and many beloved nieces, nephews, and their families.

Bill Cunningham went to school at Millcreek High School and entered the army shortly after, serving with the 101st Airborne Division. He earned his wings with 19 jumps. An experience that, as he often joked, cured him of any desire to fly again, saying, “they don’t build planes like they used to.” From 1952 to 1955, he served with the 508th Airborne Regimental Combat Team, stationed in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and Beppu, Japan, where he trained as a heavy equipment mechanic.

After returning home to Erie, he worked for a few years at Skinner Engine as a millwright, before moving to the big city of Chicago with a brand new Edsel convertible. There, fate stepped in on a blind date, he met the love of his life, Pat. Just two months later, they were married and soon returned to Erie to begin their life together.

Bill worked various jobs over the years—including Erie Forge and driving a school bus—but spent the majority of his career as a master assembler at AMSCO, where he remained until his retirement.

Retirement, for Bill and Pat, meant adventure. They bought a very large motorhome (eventually more than one) and traveled the country as legendary snowbirds, visiting friends, family, and nearly every Elks Lodge they could find. Bill marched proudly with the Zem Zem Shriners, was an active member of Elks Lodge #67 and American Legion Post #773, delivered papers with the Times Old Newsies, served soup at the Emmaus Soup Kitchen, and was a faithful member of the 7 o’clock club at Our Lady of Peace Church. He served as an usher, altar server, and self-appointed “chief church vacuum cleaner,” and delighted in telling every priest he met about altar serving in the Sistine Chapel during a church trip to Rome.

In recent years, as his health declined, Bill lived with family in Memphis, Tennessee, where he continued to charm—and lovingly challenge—his dedicated caregivers. The family offers heartfelt thanks to Lilly, Melissa, Renee, Rena, Jasmine, and Erykah for their compassion and care.

Family and friends are invited to pay their respects at Dusckas-Martin Funeral Home, 4216 Sterrettania Road, from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 2. A Catholic Mass will be celebrated at Our Lady of Peace Church on Wednesday, December 3, at 10:00 a.m. Burial will follow at Calvary Cemetery. A luncheon will be held afterward at the Elks Lodge, 2409 Peninsula Drive, Erie, PA 16506.

Bill lived a long, full, and generous life—rooted in service, sustained by faith, and defined by love for his family. He will be deeply missed and forever remembered.