William Sanders “Sandy” Cunningham, 70, of Greenville passed away October 24, 2012 at Hunt Regional Medical Center. Services will be held at 2:00 PM Friday at Coker-Mathews Funeral Home with Rev. Ralph Lay and Rev. Royce Litchfield officiating. Interment will follow at Shady Grove Cemetery.
Born March 10, 1942 in Fort Worth, Sandy was the son of William Cunningham and Ima (Sanders) Cunningham. On January 15, 1982 in Greenville, he married Kay Mainord.
Sandy began his career as a cattleman at the age of 17, even before he graduated from high school. After attending East Texas State University, he became a full-time farmer and rancher. He also worked with his father at the Cunningham Seed House for many years. He was named Hunt County Young Farmer of the Year, and he participated in the farm protests of the 1970’s. His farm is a Texas Heritage Farm that has been in continous operation in the Sanders-Cunningham family since 1870. He was a member of Highland Terrace Baptist Church.
Sandy loved his family and cherished the time with his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. His extended family grew over the years, and he treasured friendships both old and new.
Sandy will be remembered as a person with a quick wit, a ready laugh, and a love for life. His legacy will be the family he deeply loved, the land he farmed, the friends he kept close to his heart, and his unspoken faith.
His survivors include his wife of Greenville; sons Clay Cunningham, Chad Cunningham, and Bill Patterson; daughter Amanda Patterson Shiner; grandchildren Chase and Chelsea Cunningham, Mia and Haylee Patterson, Clayce, Kirstin, and Sean Cunningham, and Will and Jesse Shiner; great-grandchildren Virginia and Kaitlyn Cunningham and Harley Rogers; and cousins.
He was preceded in death by his mother in 1979, father in 1999, and step-mother Wilma McCraw Cunningham in 2005.
Pallbearers will be Scott McCullough, Daren Money, Chase Cunningham, Sean Cunningham, Wes Bentley, and Jeff Shiner. Honorary pallbearers will be Donnie Money, David Roberts, Larry McCullough, and Harry (Lonnie) Gill.
