Mary Cunningham

Mary Jane Cunningham (McCullough) of Los Alamos, NM passed peacefully at home in the arms of her husband, sons, and caregivers on September 24th, 2023, at the age of 89.

Mary was born in 1933, at home in Proctor, Vermont to Homer and Ruth (Landon) McCullough. She grew up in Proctor, Vermont where she worked at the family bakery stand during the Vermont State Fair, played basketball and softball at Proctor High School. After graduation, she attended business college and began her banking career as a teller at the Proctor Bank. Mary moved to San Diego, California in 1957 where she continued in banking, and she met the love of her life Paul Cunningham. They married in 1961.

Mary and Paul remained in California until 1969 when they moved to Naperville, Illinois where they raised three sons. They moved to Los Alamos, New Mexico in 1981 where they built their “forever dream home”.

Mary worked at Los Alamos National Bank from 1985 until retirement in 1996. She traveled extensively with Paul, including leisurely trips to Hawaii, Alaska, Australia, New Zealand, The British Isles, and Europe. Memorably, they made a visit to Nome, AK for the finish of the Iditarod race.  

Mary loved spending time with her grandchildren, baking Valentines Day cookies and Grammy’s favorite muffins.  She enjoyed hiking and bushwhacking in the Jemez Mountains around Los Alamos and enjoyed the wildflower season at their home-away-from-home in Crested Butte, Colorado. Mary will be remembered for her love of family, beautiful smile, and sense of humor.

Mary is survived by her loving husband Paul; their children David (Vicky Todd), Robert (Maria Johnson), and Alan; grandchildren Hannah and Landon Cunningham; sibling Evelyn Frazier and sisters-in-law Deirdre Ford, Anita McCullough, and Shirley McCullough, plus many beloved nieces and nephews in Vermont, and other family and friends special to her.

Mary is preceded in death by her parents and brothers Roy, Burton, and Warren, sister-in-law Lillian, and brothers-in-law Robert Frazier and Craig Cunningham.

Special thanks to her caregivers Suzie Martinez, Eileen Rios, Renee Romero; Los Alamos Visiting Nurses Melissa Williams, Danielle Wolfe, and Home Instead caregivers Yvonne Martines and Gina Trujillo.

Her life will be celebrated Saturday, October 7th , 2023 at 1:00 pm MDT at Trinity on the Hill Episcopal Church in Los Alamos, NM. The service will be streamed live on the church Facebook page (www.facebook.com/TrinityOTH/).

Any donations that friends or family wish to make on her behalf ought to be made to a charity of their choice.

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