Donald Alexander Cunningham

Dan was born on September 9, 1942, to Donald Sheldon Cunningham and Margaret McPherson Cunningham in Detroit, Michigan. He moved to Lubbock, Texas in 1949 when he was six years old. In Lubbock, the Cunningham family was active in the local Presbyterian Church. Dan was an Eagle Scout and played several sports. Dan cherished his childhood friends. The friendships he made during his youth lasted his entire lifetime. Dan graduated from Lubbock High School in 1960 and stayed in his hometown for college attending Texas Tech University where he was a member of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) and Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity. He graduated with a Masters of Business Administration in 1966. Dan was a proud member of the U.S. Army serving from 1966-1968 as a First Lieutenant in the Army Signal Corps. Dan was stationed in Seoul, South Korea from 1967 to 1968. Later in 1968, Dan married Diane Dussair from Albuquerque, New Mexico. They were married for 53 years and have two children, Craig and Katy.

Dan started his business career at NCR Corporation and subsequently moved to Dayton, Ohio where both of his children were born. In 1977, the family returned to Texas settling in the Dallas/Fort Worth suburb of Duncanville. Dan was very active in his children’s sports and activities and the entire family loved living in Duncanville. Dan and Diane made many long lasting friendships and were both active in the Duncanville Regional Arts Association and the Duncanville United Methodist Church. In 1994, Dan and Diane moved to Potomac, Maryland where they spent ten years before heading back to Texas to settle in Austin. After NCR, Dan ultimately entered the Smart Card Industry where he stayed working for various companies for over thirty years.

Dan was an excellent father always wanting the very best for his children. In addition to spending time with his family, he had many hobbies. He was a skilled bridge player and an avid reader soaking up knowledge through non-fiction books. He specifically loved to read about World War II and was extremely versed on the subject. In addition to history books, Dan loved reading science fiction. His favorite vacations were ones that involved his family and fishing especially if the destination was Red River, New Mexico. Another hobby Dan enjoyed was listening to classical music. He attended many concerts presented by the non-profit organization, Austin Classical Guitar. Austin Classical Guitar provides an array of services like teacher training and guitar classes for at-risk youth.

His parents, Donald Sheldon Cunningham and Margaret McPherson Cunningham and his brother Cameron Cunningham precede Dan in death. He leaves behind his wife Diane Cunningham, his son and daughter-in-law Craig and Karen Cunningham, his daughter and son-in-law Katy and Barry Moomaw, his four grandchildren, Ashby, Berkeley, Avery and Kyle and his brother Sheldon Cunningham. Two nieces and five nephews also survive him.

A small family service & celebration of life will take place at the family’s home on Tuesday, November 23, 2021.

To honor Dan, the family welcomes donations to the non-profit Austin Classical Guitar and/or kmfa.org the independent public classical radio station in Austin.