My Baby Brother, Michael Cunningham, Sr. (December 28, 1956 – October 6, 2014) Thank you for all of the prayers, condolences, and well-wishes for me and my family as we have experienced the loss of my one and only baby brother, Mike Cunningham Sr. Facebook has been both cathartic and an amazing way to stay connected and share. I am not sure that I would have been able to deal with this loss without the support of all my friends, relatives, and the amazing number of my brother’s friends. As my sister-in-law, Karen Jones Kreager Cunningham, my nephew, Mike Cunningham II, nieces, Julia Besetzny and Valerie Cunningham, and I try to return to our regular routine life, we will be suffering the most. Please keep us in your prayers. Also, please keep my mother, Agnes Cunningham, who is on hospice at Villagio Assisted-Living, in your prayers. Because of her dementia, Mom still talks to Dad daily and is happy and alert. She has no idea that her son has preceded her in death. What a surprise she will have when she reaches the Pearly Gates. There will be Daddy, her sisters, Mary and Georgia, and her beloved son, Mike, to welcome her. Since heaven has no time factor, she will be reunited with all of her family very soon. Once you met my brother, Mike, you wanted to be his friend right away. Mike never knew a stranger. He could make you laugh harder than anyone else. He was the most talented, handsome, kind, loving, caring, funny, mischievous person I have ever known. I was seven years old when Mike was born so I was often in charge of keeping Mike corralled and out of trouble. This was not an easy job. For years I thought my middle name was “Dammit” because Daddy was always yelling, “Pat Dammit, go get your brother!” or “Pat Dammit, close the gate so your brother does not get out!” I can remember one day when Mike and I were yelling at each other and were arguing and fighting. My mother had reached her limit, as mothers often do, and she said to us, “Stop it! Please stop yelling at each other! One of these days your daddy and I will be gone and you two will be all that is left of our small family. Love each other, dammit!” Well, Mike, you just proved that mom was wrong and you know that mom does not like to be wrong!! Even though Mike was 7 years younger than me, we were very close. As children we created our own language that only the two of us could speak. They say that creating a language is a sign of genius. Mike was smart and I should know. He was in my eighth grade class the first year that I taught school. In fact, I got my first teaching job because my brother was so mischievous. The principal of Holy Family of Nazareth in Irving, Sister Joan, was very tired of Mikes boyish pranks and unlimited supply of water guns. Sister Joan wanted to expel him but she hired me instead. Mike was an “Angel” while I was there. Every moment of my life would be better if I could spend it with Mike. You could talk to him all day long and never run out of things to talk about. His smile could make my day. He could make you laugh and make you want to smack him all at the same time. He was an amazing best friend who would put up with even the craziest people if he considered them to be friends. Mike was the boyfriend all the girls wanted to be theirs because “Commitment” was his middle name! He was someone who would be with you through the good and the bad. He always was that one person you could turn to when you had a problem. Mike could light up your day even if you were in one of those moods. Every time I saw his face I smiled. I love him more than the sun; I need him more than breath itself. I can’t imagine my life without him; it scares me more than anything. I will spend the rest of my life loving him until we meet in heaven one day. Mike, tell Daddy and Aunt Mary “Hi” for me. Love, your big sister, Pat Stafford
Posted on: Sun, 12 Oct 2014 04:12:37 +0000
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