Obituary
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Dean E. Cunningham

Date of Death: November 21, 2022

Date of Birth: January 1, 1941

Biography:

Dean E. Cunningham passed away peacefully during the afternoon of Monday, November 21, 2022, after suffering an accident with health complications.  He was 81. 

 

Dean is survived by his daughter, Kimlee Cunningham of Massachusetts, brother Gordon F. Cunningham of Florida, as well as numerous nieces and nephews, extended family, and friends.  Special thanks to his friends at Greentree Apartments – they were always looking out for one another.

 

Dean was born in January 1941, Patten, Maine, the youngest of 5 brothers of Laurel R. and Irma B. (Porter) Cunningham. 

 

He served 12 years in the US Navy as a radio/communications operator with significant time aboard the USS Grand Canyon, a Shenandoah-class destroyer tender, during the Viet Nam War era.  He was honorably discharged in 1972 and became a reservist.  After serving his Country, he worked for RCA Global Communications installing and repairing teletypes and communications equipment.  Later he became a courier transporting packages for customers.

 

He had been working in Saigon just before the war ended, where he met and married his wife, now deceased, Nam Thi Nguyen.  They left Viet Nam and returned to the US during the evacuation of 1975.

 

Dean was always interested in electronics, music, motorcycles, and aviation.  He continued practicing his morse code with a key set and oscillator up until the time of his passing.  He took flying lessons in a small private plane and performed some solo flights.  He also held an amateur (ham) radio license.

 

Dean was an avid Boston Bruins hockey fan.  He loved older Country and Western artists of the 1930’s to 60’s.  He dabbled in photography, and spent many hours either on his flight simulator or submarine and ship warfare historical games on his computer.

 

Dean is missed and fondly remembered as a kind man by friends and family. 

 

Memorial information will be forthcoming.  In lieu of flowers and gifts may we suggest a contribution to St Jude’s Children’s Hospital in his name, to which he often contributed.