WILLIAM DAVIS “BILL” CUNNINGHAM

1952-2021

William Davis “Bill” Cunningham, age 68, died on Monday, the 5th of April 2021, at home after a long illness. He was born on the 23rd of December 1952, in Houston, Texas, the son of Jack Ponton Cunningham and Maxine Davis Cunningham.

Bill graduated from Memorial High School in 1971. He also was a proud graduate of Washington & Lee U. in Lexington, VA (1975) and the Bates College of Law at the University of Houston (1978). Following his law school graduation, Bill began his long and successful career as a financial planner at First City National Bank (Houston, TX), then Kanaly Trust Co. (Houston, TX) and finally as President of Woodway Financial Advisors. He retired in 2018.

Bill married Ellen Simpson in 1988. They had one daughter, Emily Anne Cunningham. Bill was an avid tennis player until a back injury ended his playing. He had a lifelong love of baseball, beginning with his childhood passion for Strat-o-Matic and was a loyal fan of the Houston Astros.

Bill had a love of history, especially Civil War history. He particularly enjoyed his time as Chairman of the Stonewall Jackson House in Lexington, Va., which allowed him quarterly visits to Lexington, VA. Bill also loved traveling with his daughter & family as well as trips with his companion, Michelle Marie Gill.

In addition to his parents, Bill was predeceased by his older brother, Jack Ponton Cunningham, Jr. Surviving in addition to his ex-wife and daughter, Emily Anne Cunningham, are his twin-sister, Elizabeth Joy Cunningham Conner(Denver, CO) and his older sister, Charlotte Cunningham Knepp (Austin, TX) and numerous nieces and nephews.

A service of remembrance is to be conducted at two o’clock in the afternoon on Monday, the 12th of April, in the Jasek Chapel of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston. Guests may also view the service virtually by visiting Mr. Cunningham’s online memorial tribute at GeoHLewis.com and clicking “Join Livestream”. There, friends may also share memories and words of comfort and condolence electronically with the family on the same tribute page.

Following the service, guests are invited to greet the family during a reception to be held in the adjacent grand foyer.

In lieu of customary remembrances, memorial contributions may be directed toward Basset Buddies Rescue of Texas, PO Box 130244, Houston, TX 77219.