No one amassed more friends from all walks of life than Joe "Bean" Cunningham. He was loved and treasured by his family, friends, and the youth that he coached. He had a significant impact on thousands of young athletes as a mentor and role model.
Joe was born in Newark on August 22, 1954. He lived in Newark, NJ until the age of 7 when his family moved to Livingston, NJ where he spent the next 60 years.
He graduated from Seton Hall Prep in 1972 and took courses at Seton Hall University. He became a member of the Pipefitter Union Local 475 where he worked for many years. Until recently, he worked for Air Group performing cost analysis.
Joe had a passion for sports and loved coaching. He spent over 5 decades coaching Little League Baseball and Youth Football. He amassed one of the most successful youth coaching careers in NJ State history. His incredible work with the Livingston youth resulted in his induction into the Livingston High School Hall of Fame despite not having attended. He was a passionate fan of the Yankees, Rangers, Packers, and Notre Dame football. He was also inducted into the Metro Softball Hall of Fame because of his success with Bean's Blue Blazers and many other teams.
He is survived by his mother Margaret Cunningham, his brothers Greg & John Cunningham, his sister Donna Valentine, 10 nieces and nephews as well as his significant other Carolyn Oertzen.
Visitation will be held on Sunday, April 24, 2022, at Quinn-Hopping Funeral Home, 145 E. Mt. Pleasant Ave., Livingston, NJ from 2 - 6 p.m. The funeral Mass will be held on Monday, April 25, 2022 at St. Philomena R.C. Church, 396 S. Livingston Ave., Livingston, NJ at 10:00 a.m. Cremation will be private.
In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the following:
Livingston Little League 109 Meadowbrook Rd Livingston NJ 07034
Livingston JV Lancers Football & Cheer Program P.O. Box 2799 Livingston NJ 07039
Please join us in celebrating Bean's life on May 14th at 2pm at the Knights of Columbus. RSVP here: http://evite.me/pu1rVKNmY1
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