John Cunningham Service Information

John “J.J.” Cunningham passed away on May 12^th, 2024 at the age of 81.  He is survived by his dear sisters, Janice Mignogna (Donald) and Eileen Birzes (Joseph).  Beloved uncle of Donna Yerk (the late Michael), Michael Mignogna (Donna Jean), Maureen Mignogna, Matthew Mignogna (Dana), Kelly Cousineau (Robert), Christopher Birzes and Ryan Birzes.  He is also survived by his great nephews Owen and Colin as well as numerous other great and great-great nieces and nephews.

John was a row house kid from Philadelphia chronically late for dinner because he was fishing in Pennypack Woods, an oasis for an energetic young colt not built for brick and concrete. He was out the door 5 minutes after coming in from school and, hours later, his dad would be out looking for him. Like many of his contemporaries, he graduated high school without a clear direction in his life. College wasn’t an option for the children of blue collar families in Philadelphia in 1962.

John's decision to enlist in the Marine Corps took everyone by surprise, and it shaped his entire life. He was first posted to the 8th & I Marine Barracks in Washington, D.C., “The Oldest Post in the Corps”, serving in the Honor Guard and the Silent Drill Team, in addition to providing security at the Camp David Presidential Retreat.  Shortly thereafter, John was appointed to the Marine Corps’ Presidential Honor Guard, with whom on November 23, 1963, he escorted President John F. Kennedy’s body upon its return from Dallas to the North Portico of the White House. It was the great honor of John’s life to keep watch over the slain president as he lay in repose and the era of “Camelot” came to an end. Interviewed by the New York Times on the 50th anniversary of the assassination he called himself “an accidental participant in a turning point in history”.

During that crucial time John met Major William Lee, a.k.a.“Tracks,” Commander of the Silent Drill Team. He called Bill Lee a father figure who “took the boy that I was and turned him into the man I am”. That Major Lee could convert a young man who loved to make waves into a member of a unit that “walked across the pages of history and never left a footprint” is a testimony to his mentoring and guidance. Over the decades, John often referenced the men with whom he served  as having had a profound, life-changing effect on him.  He was forever grateful to have spent that period in his life with some of the best men he has ever known.

John's second posting was to the 1st Marine Division, headquartered at Camp Pendleton. He was one of the first Marines to land in Vietnam and proudly served with his comrades in C-1-11, an artillery regiment, from 1965 through 1966 and continued to serve until 1968. Sergeant John Cunningham received the Good Conduct Medal (1st Awd) as well as the Vietnam Service Medal.

Then one night there came a knock at the door of a twin house in Northeast Philadelphia and there John stood, newly discharged, with just his duffel bag. He was back in Philly, but not for long. He’d read about the GI bill and the opportunity to attend college in California. After less than a week at home he headed west to enroll, first at Santa Ana College and then the University of Colorado, where he studied accounting and graduated summa cum laude. A Juris Doctor degree followed though he chose not to pursue law as a career. He settled in Denver and found friends, meaningful work and a fresh start in a city with beautiful mountain views.

Beginning in 1974 John worked in banking, became a licensed real estate broker, and entered commercial real estate. He founded his own company, Cunningham Advisors LLC, which focused on commercial real estate management, leasing, and renovations. He developed financial software in the early 1990s and pioneered a mortgage consulting profession which he operated until his retirement from the business world.

One of John’s most important extracurricular endeavors during those years was the 1988 publication of his book, “How to Unscramble Your Nest Egg:- A Fresh Approach to Financial Security & Peace of Mind for Homeowners”, updated over the decades as the financial landscape changed.  Shortly before his passing, John completed the last revision and, ever the modern man, added an electronic version for the young homeowners he was hoping to help.

Though decades had passed, the Marine life, his fellow Marines, and the lessons he learned never left him. John chose to dedicate his beloved book to that very group of Marines with whom he began his military career and those who fought alongside him in Vietnam. He ended with the following in “Acknowledgments”: “I offer a belated thanks to the Marine Corps, and the Drill Team in particular, for instilling faith in myself. I didn’t realize it was happening at the time. But I came to believe the “right stuff” would show up when called upon. I never know what that might be, but I nonetheless trust they’ll come to the fore when needed. And, they always have! Having such faith in myself is the essence of “Semper Fidelis”.

The second stage of John’s career, beginning in 2001, focused on the art world. At an age when many of his contemporaries were retiring John created Northern Light Art, acquiring paintings at auction in Scandinavia, primarily from the first half of the 20th century and expanding his offerings as the gallery evolved. He lovingly cleaned and restored paintings and frames for his customers, and eventually opened J.J.Cunningham’s Gallery of Vintage Art on S Pearl St in Denver, a gem of a gallery that he operated until his passing. John’s greatest joy was meeting those who stopped in the gallery, introducing them to his latest acquisitions, or simply teaching them about what they were looking at. If the book was near and dear to John’s heart, it was the gallery that kept that heart beating so strongly.

John was a true Renaissance man. To his Depression era parents, Fonse and Dot, he was the enigma who chose to go west to find his way in unknown parts when life in Philly was the easier and most logical path. They delighted in his successes and were amazed by his boldness but, like good parents everywhere, never ceased worrying over their only son. To Janice and Eileen, John was the brother who introduced them to good coffee, good wine, good art, good books–and tried to reorganize their homes using feng shui. To his nieces and nephews, John was the uncle who did headstands in the hallway in his fifties and gave his captive audience master classes in life as the years went by.

Visits home were often but John’s Denver friends were the ones who got to see his evolution up close. His many “art friends” nurtured John’s new enterprise and applauded his growth despite the financial challenges of owning a gallery. And wherever they were, near or far, John’s Marine buddies always had his back –they kept him grounded and reminded him that underneath it all he was still that 20-something kid . To his South Pearl Street  friends and neighbors, he was the man they loved to sit next to in the gallery, sharing philosophies and maybe learning a thing or two in the process.

The day before he passed, John said that, whatever came next, he did not want to return to Philadelphia. He wanted to leave this life where he had lived it, spending his last days with his “heart family” who had cared for him, physically and emotionally, through a difficult yet, ultimately hopeful final year, when his birth family could not be there. In the end, John called the shots as he had all of his life, a stubborn Irishman to the end. To paraphrase Christopher Morley,  “There is only one success- living the life you wish.” Congratulations, John, you did it.

The family wishes to sincerely thank the various veteran’s groups and Jon Stewart for their efforts in bringing the nation’s attention to the plight of the men and women who served our country. Due to the Pact Act, John was financially able to spend the last year of his life doing what he loved most instead of closing up shop and moving back east. We will be forever grateful.

Relatives and friends are invited to his visitation on Thursday, July 11^th from 9 to 9:30am at Bux-Mont Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Church, 2040 Street Road, Warrington, PA 18976.  A service will follow at 9:30am.  Interment Washington’s Crossing National Cemetery, Newtown, PA.

In lieu of flowers the family would prefer donations in his name to the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

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