Barbara Cunningham

Barbara Cunningham returned to her heavenly home on November 12, 2020.

Barbara was born in Huntington, West Virginia on May 16, 1934, the eldest of seven children born to Robert and Ruby Adkins. Coming from a long and noble lineage of coal miners, Robert and Ruby moved the beginnings of their young family from the mountains of West Virginia to the rolling hills and farmland of southwestern Missouri where Barbara and her siblings grew in both number and stature.

During her high school years, Barbara was the director of a summer youth camp and played the bass drum in the marching band. She graduated valedictorian from Reed Springs High School in 1952 and went on to work her way through college as a nanny, attending Southwestern Missouri State University, where she obtained a degree in vocational home economics.

Barbara was an adventurous, fiercely independent soul. With degree in hand, she first taught school in Booger County, Missouri, then, shortly thereafter, took flight to Dillingham, a small Eskimo village on the west coast of Alaska, where she taught during the school year and worked in the salmon canneries during the summer months. She owned dogs and a sled, hunted, fished, and hung meat from a tree outside her cabin to keep it from the grizzly bears. It was during this season of her life when she met her true love and soulmate James Cunningham, a military officer and doctor in the United States Army. It was love at first sight. Shortly thereafter, they were married in Anchorage and will celebrate their 59th wedding anniversary together in their heavenly home next week on November 18th.

Life married to a military officer took Barbara from coast to coast across these United States. Following their time spent together in Anchorage, she and Jim were transferred to Fort Sam Houston, Texas from 1962-64, Fort Polk, Louisiana from 1964-66, The Presidio (San Francisco, California) from 1966-70, and Fort Bragg, North Carolina from 1970-71. During many of those years, Barbara served as an officer in the Medical Services Officers Wives Club along with various charitable organizations and educational supports to the military children.

Barbara did not limit herself to life on post. While living in San Francisco, Barbara worked as a professional model and was a member of the LPGA, playing in several tournaments at The Presidio course. It was also in San Francisco where she obtained her pilot's license and became a member of the Ninety-Nines International Organization of Women Pilots. Though she grounded herself from flying several years ago, she remained active in the 99's until the time of her passing. Barbara was a passionate gardener and loved to read a good mystery. She was an amazing cook and a talented seamstress having spent a handful years employed by the Loretto-Hilton Theatre in St. Louis, Missouri supporting costume design and fabrication.

Upon Jim's retirement from the military in 1971, he and Barbara moved their family to St. Louis, Missouri where Jim established a successful medical practice. While in St. Louis, Barbara organized and lead a "tribe" of Campfire Girls Blue Birds for several years and was a substitute teacher for both the Parkway School District and Montessori schools. She had a lifelong passion for literature, music, and the performing arts. She, along with Jim, were multi-year season ticket holders to both the St. Louis Symphony and Loretto-Hilton Theatre. Above all, Barbara was a loving mother to her two children, a devoted spouse to her husband, and an exceptional grandmother to her three grandchildren. She cherished her family. Additionally, she held close a handful of personal relationships with dear friends from her church, neighborhood, and former military life. She loved them all deeply.

Barbara and Jim had a passion for the desert southwest and in 2002 moved to Tucson, Arizona where she lived for the remainder of her days.

Preceding her in death are her husband of nearly 59 years, James Cunningham, her parents Robert and Ruby Adkins, and her younger sisters, Virginia Pilgrim and Thelma Adkins.

She is survived by her two children and three grandchildren; her daughter Carolyn Cunningham-Buck of Palmdale, California, her daughter Caitlin and her son Tyler; her son Charles Cunningham of St. Louis, Missouri, his wife Susan, and their son William James; her younger sisters, Dorothy Uhr of Yukon, Oklahoma, Anna Lee Davis of Enid, Oklahoma, and Cathy Harpool of Alexandria, Virginia, and her younger brother, David Adkins of Vienna, Missouri, along with her 11 nieces and nephews.

The family plans to hold a private memorial service early next year.