COOPERSTOWN – It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Jon Edwin Christen Cunningham. He died unexpectedly on August 7, 2026, from a hemorrhagic stroke, probably the result of hypertension and atherosclerosis.
Jon was born on Wednesday, June 16, 1965, in Cleveland, Ohio, the oldest of five children of Allan and Linda (Hall) Cunningham. His first six years were spent in Cleveland, Cooperstown, Sisseton, South Dakota and Lake Oswego, Oregon. He began first grade back in Cooperstown in September 1971. Jon was an honor student at Cooperstown Central School and graduated in 1983. He held a Clark Scholarship and, after some ups and downs, graduated in 1990 from Cornell University with a B.S. in biology.
From the time he was in 8th grade Jon’s
passion was the guitar and rock music. It never brought the fame he was after,
but he made records, developed a real skill in electronics, and acquired a host
of friends. He held an extraordinary variety of jobs, too numerous to list, but
in 2004 he co-authored Volume II of the Encyclopedia of Exploration with Carl
Waldman. Over the years Jon courted a few ladies but never married - something
he regretted. For the last ten years he has been a mainstay at the Fly Creek
General Store and enjoyed engaging with customers. From all reports, the local
residents looked forward to chatting and dealing with Jon.
Jon was a puzzle. He was kind and he had a
tremendous capacity for friendship. At the same time, Jon had an abiding and
unwholesome suspicion of public figures and public institutions, above and
beyond the run of common opinion. We never understood why.
Jon is survived by his mother and father, Dr.
Allan and Linda Cunningham of Bowerstown, and four siblings: Paul Cunningham
and wife, Michelle, and their daughters Grace and Lucy of Glen Rock, New
Jersey; Daniel Cunningham, who is currently serving with the Peace Corps in the
Philippines, and his sons Stephen and Ethan; Elizabeth Barnard and her husband
Joe of Tucson, Arizona and their children Mason and Madeline; and Andrew
Cunningham of Bowerstown.
We miss Jon. He left us much too soon.
A service in celebration of Jon’s life will
be held at 11 A.M. on Saturday, October 3, 2026, at the First Presbyterian
Church of Cooperstown, with the Rev. Jessica Lambert officiating. Immediately
following the service everyone is welcome to gather in the Chapel for
refreshments and to remember Jon.
We thank Connell, Dow & Deysenroth
Funeral Home for their care and guidance.
ALLAN & LINDA CUNNINGHAM
