CUNNINGHAM, Walter L. 1941-2000

CUNNINGHAM, GRAVES

Posted By: S. Bell
Date: 5/22/2014 at 23:32:04

Walter L. Cunningham August 3, 1941 - July 24, 2000

[Waterloo Courier, July 30, 2000]

To passersby, the hearse parked outside may have indicated a somber occasion Friday at the Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center.

But for family and friends attending the funeral of Walter Cunningham Sr., there could be no mistake that this was a celebration.

For 2 1/2 hours, they commemorated the life of Cunningham, 58, who died Monday from complications of polymyositis, a rare degenerative muscle disease. Cunningham worked as a teacher, principal and deputy superintendent in Waterloo Community Schools for more than 31 years. He became Iowa's first African-American high school principal when he started at East High School in 1976.

Most of the auditorium's 1,500 seats were filled. A dozen speakers offered tributes to "Spudgie," as many of them affectionately referred to Cunningham (It was a nickname bestowed by his mother after the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1 in the late 1950s.) Friends, family members and former students reflected on his life and contributions to the community.

A choir rounded out the celebration, accompanied by organ, piano, drums and guitar. The choir's singing filled the auditorium with soaring, joyful gospel music.

"This is a worship and praise service as far as I'm concerned," said Cunningham's son, Walt Jr., who assembled the choir especially for the funeral. "This is not a sad, solemn, sit down-type of service. Because the God who we serve, who has so blessed us with this person (Cunningham), is worthy to be praised."

"We're here to celebrate the homecoming of Dr. Walter Cunningham," said former Waterloo School administrator W. Ray Richardson, now deputy superintendent of the Ames School District. Richardson, a close friend who introduced each of the speakers, said Cunningham played different roles in the lives of everyone at the funeral. "But above all, as we start this, I want you to know Walt was a family man."

Cunningham and his wife, Ruth, raised four sons while he attended the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls and moved up through the district's ranks. During the ceremony, his youngest son, Benjamin, called his father the family's rock and spoke of the powerful bond of love his parents shared.

He also recognized his mother's role as the disease slowly took its toll. "My dad fought with this disease for 14 years, and my mother was there every step of the way."

Cunningham's sister, Ella Graves, said, "Truly, it would be impossible for a man to affect so many people without the anointing of the Holy Spirit." He had "a spirit of humility," she added. "He never bragged about what he'd done." Graves compared him to the Bible's Job, "an upright man (who) had many afflictions."

The Rev. Theodore Keys of Community Southern Baptist Church in Waterloo, who gave the eulogy, spoke of the pain Cunningham went through as the disease progressed. He remembered Cunningham lying on his sick bed in pain and saying, "I'm hurting, you don't know how bad I'm hurting. It's tough but you can't give up."

He called Cunningham an example, "because in this life there's some difficulties and living this life is tough, but you can't quit." Drawing on the biblical concept of sanctification, Keys said Cunningham had been set apart by God to do a particular task as an educator.

"Why would God allow an individual who was so valuable to so many to leave so soon?" he asked. "I can't answer it. I don't know."

"Whatever the Lord wanted him to do, whatever the Lord wanted him to accomplish, he's done," said Keys. "There's something that God has prepared, it's called glorification."

"I want you to know, church, he just moved from an old building to a new building," said Keys, his voice rising, as some in the audience clapped and shouted affirmation. "I want you to know that he's not here, but he still lives."

Cunningham started as a math teacher at McKinstry Junior High in 1966 and went on to be a counselor and assistant principal at several schools. He left the district briefly to become director of UNI's educational opportunity program. After returning to the Waterloo district, he served as principal at Logan Junior High from 1973 to 1976 and East High School from 1976 to 1989.

In 1987, he was diagnosed with polymyositis, which causes muscles to swell, hurt and ultimately degenerate. Two years later, he left his job as principal after nearly dying from complications of the disease. From 1989 until taking long-term disability leave in 1997 because of effects of the disease, he served as deputy superintendent for the district.

In addition, he served on the boards of numerous organizations and businesses. He was also a member of the Wartburg College Board of Regents.

On Friday, the stream of former students and colleagues who gave testimonials about Cunningham showed the huge effect he had in the district during those years of service.

Jack Fitzgerald, the district's director of Operational Services, worked with Cunningham as a teacher at East High School. "Everybody who knew Walt, Walt helped," he said. "Walt took every negative and turned it into a positive."

Black Hawk County Supervisor Brian Quirk said he had admiration and respect for Cunningham as a student at East High School in the 1970s. But that didn't stop Quirk from acting up on occasion. He recalled toilet-papering a teacher's house with a few of his friends.

"We thought we'd gotten away with it," he said. Cunningham did find out, though, and the next morning he punished the boys by making each of them carry around a roll of toilet paper on their heads.

Logan Middle School Principal Robert Wright also remembers meeting Cunningham as a high school senior in 1968. He was interested in becoming a teacher and sought advice from Cunningham. Wright acknowledged the debt he and many others in district owe to him.

"Walt is a mentor, an adviser to all of us, especially some of the African-American educators," said Wright, who is black. "I see a lot of African-American educators in the audience. Walt had a lot to do with that."

College friend Thomas Phillips recalled how financially strapped the two were while attending UNI and that Cunningham vowed his children would have it easier.

"One of the things I realized coming back to Waterloo is that all of us are his children," Phillips said. "He has made life better for all of us, and his challenge to us is to make life better for our children."

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SSDI:

Name: Walter L. Cunningham
State of Issue: Iowa
Date of Birth: Sunday August 03, 1941
Date of Death: Monday July 24, 2000
Est. Age at Death: 58 years, 11 months, 21 days
Confirmation: Verified
City: WaterlooEagle CenterOrange
County: Black Hawk
State: Iowa