Paul Augustine Cunningham, 92 of Garland, Texas passed away Saturday April 1 2023, surrounded by family at Faith Presbyterian Hospice in Dallas. Paul said he was born on December 29 1930 in Brooklyn, New York. He has birth certificates for the 29th and 30th and his discharge papers from the U.S. army have December 31st listed. We’re using the 29th now. We will smile about this each December. Paul was the youngest of 9 children and was preceded in death by all except his sister Joan, 97 who lives in Pittsburgh, Pa. He was raised Roman Catholic and even spent two years in seminary. He joined the US Army in 1952 during the Korean War and would then go on to join the US Army reserve for 8 years. In 1957 he became a police officer in the city of Austin, Texas. With 3 children at the time, Paul began studying welding, soldering and electrical engineering taking night classes to transition to a safer job to raise his family. Paul and his wife at the time Lucia, moved with their 3 children to Mesquite, Texas and had a fourth child. He and his family moved to Garland just before their fifth child was born. He worked in the engineering department at Texas Instruments in Dallas for 29 years. After he retired he purchased some property in Cumby, Texas. He proceeded to build a barn and living quarters with his own two hands. No building contractor(s) for him as there was virtually nothing he could not do himself. His land was referred to as The Yankee Farm in Texas by his family and friends, a term coined by his songwriter son Austin who eventually wrote a song of the same title. He also had a herd of cattle for many years but as he aged could no longer take care of them and the herd and his ranch were eventually sold. He spent his remaining years as he did earlier; helping his children with repairs and home projects, attending Mass at St. Patrick’s Church in Dallas, occasionally going fishing with his boys or flying model airplanes, making jewelry or any one of his many hobbies. He could sew and he loved to work and build things with his hands and assemble model airplanes and clocks from kits. He also took a class in stain glass making and created some beautiful pieces and in addition he also loved photos and even took photography classes to learn more.

Paul is survived by his former wife, Lucia Cunningham Kons, 90 and their five children, Celeste Worley, Catherine Sangren, Austin Cunningham and his wife Beth Ann and daughter Kyra, Peter Cunningham, Mary Macejewski and her husband Keith Macejewski, six grandchildren; Christy Barret, Rick Worley, Eric Worley, Jeff Worley, Alan Macejewski, Kelly Macejewski, and three great-grandchildren; Ella Worley, Emery Worley and Everly Worley. He is also survived by his Longtime life partner Elaine Underwood who lived with and cared for and loved him for thirty years, and her sons B.J. and Kevin, daughter Bonnie and her grandson Austin, along with 5 other grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren, all who were very close to Paul and eventually like a second family to him. In addition to his sister Joan, he is survived by many nieces and nephews in New York, Virginia, Pennsylvania and South Carolina. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote; “To know even one life has breathed easier, because you have lived, this is to have succeeded”. In all his long and hard-working years, Paul achieved success many times over! He now rests peacefully. 

A Funeral Rite service for Paul will be held Thursday April 20, 2023, 11:00am at Presbyterian Faith Hospice Chapel, 12477 Merit Drive, Dallas, Tx. 75251, Rev. Gerard Cooper officiating. 

Internment will follow promptly at 2:00 pm, Dallas-Ft. Worth National Cemetery, 2000 Mountain

Creek Parkway, Dallas, Tx. 75211, Rev. Stephen Bierschenk officiating.