Major Gene Raymond Cunningham, Usaf (Ret.)

Gene Raymond Cunningham, 75, entered into rest on Sunday, August 17, 2014.

Gene was born on January 25, 1939, in Maryville, Tennessee to the late Paul and Mary Ernestine Cunningham. At age seventeen, he enlisted in the US Navy where he served as a Medical Corpsman. Afterward, he attended Officer Candidate School with the US Air Force and graduated as a Second Lieutenant serving as a Navigator on C-130c aircraft. First stationed at Sewart AFB, Tennessee, he completed numerous foreign missions in the Far East as well as Europe. In 1962, his 345th TCS was transferred to Naha AFB, Okinawa where he was stationed for three years. From Naha he completed numerous missions into Vietnam as well as other secret missions in Southeast Asia and later Europe. He was the lead navigator who dropped the first paratroopers into Vietnam. Throughout his military career, Major Cunningham received many awards and honors including the Bronze Star. In 1971, he transferred to Rhein-Main AFB, Germany, after which he transferred to Robins AFB where he retired. Gene then owned a successful ReMax realty firm. He and his wife, Barbara, were members of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Warner Robins. He then attended Christian Hope Church. Gene will forever be remembered for his bravery in action and for being a loving husband and wonderful father to his children. His wife of thirty-five years, Barbara Powell Cunningham, preceded him in death.

His memory will forever be treasured by his daughter, Virginia Dyer, Macon, with grandchildren Jennifer, Ashleigh and Matthew and great-grandchild, Shelby; daughter, Mary-Elizabeth Cunningham Francine (Tim), Suwanee, Georgia, with grandchildren, Hilton, Harper and Hollis and first wife Marietta Cunningham Todd; son, James Wendler (Kim), Kathleen, with grandchildren Ryan, Brianna, Noah and Ethan; daughter Lynn Lamontagne (Shane), Byron, with grandchildren Madison, Taylor and Grace; and many other loving family members and friends.

A Scripture Service will be Wednesday, August 20, 2014 at 6:00 p.m. at McCullough Funeral Home. The family will receive friends following the service until 8:00 p.m. Funeral Services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 21, 2014 in the chapel of McCullough Funeral Home with interment following in Magnolia Park Cemetery


Funeral Home:
McCullough Funeral Home
417 S. Houston Lake Rd.
Warner Robins, GA
US 31088