Gary D. Cunningham

West Des Moines

Gary D. Cunningham, 73, of West Des Moines passed from this life on Saturday, June 6, 2015 at Iowa Methodist Hospital after a brief illness.

Gary was born September 20, 1941 to (Elmer) Herb and Edna Cunningham in rural Earlham, Iowa. Raised in Adair County, Gary graduated from Menlo High School in 1959 and attended Northwest Missouri State. In 1962 he married M. Laurene Bateham. Gary and Laurene lived for a brief time in Texas and Oklahoma where Gary worked for Hallett Construction before returning home to Iowa to farm in 1965.

Gary raised his family near Menlo, Iowa and farmed in Adair County for 33 years. In 2001, he moved to West Des Moines where he and Laurene could be closer to their grandchildren. He worked as a Security Officer at Iowa Health Systems before retiring in 2007.

Gary was an avid reader who loved the outdoors and spending time with family. Over the years Gary enjoyed many great conversations with dear friends in his “coffee bunch” in Menlo, Casey and West Des Moines. In retirement Gary enjoyed traveling to his grandchildren’s activities, teaching them to drive and watching his grandsons play baseball. He was a dear husband, father, brother, grandfather and great-grandfather.

Left to cherish his memory are his wife, Laurene, of 52 years; daughter Valerie (Mark) Chaney of Olathe, KS, son Vance (Carolyn) Cunningham of West Des Moines, son Brant (Shannon) Cunningham of Prole; eight grandchildren, Heather (Carlos) Chaney Padron, Cale Cunningham, Colton Cunningham, Tyler Cunningham, Hunter Cunningham, Chase Cunningham, Aubrey Chaney, and Mercedes Cunningham; and two great-grandchildren Tony and Ashlee Padron. Also surviving are sisters Marcia Menefee of Lincoln, NE and Betsy (Gary Brandt) Teeter of Sanger, CA; brother-in-law Doug (Vicky) Bateham of Mountain Home, AR; and sister-in-law Carole (Tom) Beck of Prospect Heights, Il, numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.

A celebration of life will be held Saturday, June 13th at 11 a.m. at the West Des Moines United Methodist Church at 720 Grand Avenue in West Des Moines. A luncheon will follow at the church.

Visitation will also be held Saturday morning with the family greeting visitors from 9-11 a.m. in the Friendship Hall of the church.