Orville (Red) Leroy Cunningham

He moved to Deep Creek, WA at the age of 6 months and remained in the Spokane area throughout the rest of his life. He had lived in the Spokane Valley for the last 62 years.

At the age of 18, he joined the Merchant Seamen and was able to go to Italy and other countries, then landed in New York, where he and his friend bought Harley Davidson’s motorcycles in the dead of winter and rode them back to Spokane, WA. In the summer of 1948 he met Dorothy Breeden, the love of his life, and they were married after knowing each other for a short while on August 21, 1948 in Mead, WA. They were married for 59 years and together they raised 10 children.

Red worked for ACME CONCRETE for 42 years, retiring in 1994. He earned a 3 Million Mile Safe Driving Award and was Spokane’s first to receive this award from the National Safety Council. After retiring from ACME, he went to work for DP Anderson Excavating for another 20 years, retiring at age 82 in 2011.

He loved to teach his grandkids to hunt and fish. He and Dorothy loved going to Loon and Pierre Lakes camping with some of the kids and grandkids and Lake Koocanusa, Montana where they liked fishing with their friends.

He was a lifetime member of the Spokane Valley Eagles Aerie #3433, joining in 1971.

Dad (Grandpa), we love you and will miss you dearly. You will always be in our hearts, along with Mom (Grandma).

He is survived by his daughters: Anna Gertsch of CDA, ID, Connie (Tracy) Dougall of Post Falls, ID, Susan Mitchell, Peggy (Tim) VandeVanter, Mary (Mitch) Miller, Judy Cunningham, Sally (Bryan) Cunningham Doering all of Spokane Valley, WA, 19 grandchildren, 39 great grandchildren, and 15 great great grandchildren.

Red was preceded in death by his wife Dorothy (2007), daughter Norma (2016), and sons Jim (2017) and Mike (2022), grandson Jason Cunningham (2019) who was waiting with a cold beer in his hand for his gramps, his parents Charles and Hanna, his brothers Bill, Bob, Glen, Ted, Mike and Steve, and his sisters Jean and Shirley.

We would like to especially thank our niece Rachel Cunningham for helping Grandpa for the last several years. Also Rodney, Jason, and Chancey Cunningham for always being there to help when he needed it, Christine Harrington for helping us get to Horizon Hospice, his Hospice nurse Mariah, and all the other Horizon Hospice staff who helped us keep Dad home until his passing. We appreciate all of you so much.

A Memorial Service is scheduled for July 9, 2022 at 11:00 am at Hazen & Jaeger Valley Funeral Home, 1306 N. Pines Rd, Spokane Valley, WA. Inurnment will be at Fairmount Memorial Park Sunset Vista, 5200 W. Wellesley Ave., Spokane, WA 99205 on July 12, 2022 at 2:30 pm.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.HazenJaegerValley.com for the Cunningham family.