Betty Cunningham was born on November 24, 1929 in Kalamazoo Michigan to Neal and Lena Den Hamer. After graduating High School and while attending College, she met her future Husband, John B. Cunningham, and married on October 1, 1949. Betty and John followed Betty’s parents to Florida in 1953 where they owned and operated several small business’s including a grocery store in downtown Orlando.
In the mid 1950’s, Betty and John bought their first home and moved to the new suburb of Orlando named Pine Hills. After having 3 children, Craig, Barbara, and Debbie, Betty returned to College and received her teaching degree. She went on to teach elementary school at several schools in West Orlando before settling in for a long career teaching reading at Pine Hills Elementary. Betty and John moved to College Park in 1997 where she lived the remainder of her life.
After retiring, Betty and John started an Antique business operating at Renningers market in Mount Dora, which they operated for many years and made many friends. Her husband John passed away on February 18, 2004. Betty continued her passion for shopping garage sales by selling her acquired antiques and oddities at the Orange Tree Antique Mall in Winter Park until her death.
On November 18th Betty passed quietly in her sleep.
Besides Antiques, Betty and John loved to travel. They visited many sites in Europe including her parent's hometown in The Netherlands. They also traveled throughout the United States, and cruised to Alaska. In her younger years with 3 small children, Betty and John and took their young family camping and on long family vacations in the car. Her love and pride in her garden was a constant joy in her life.
Betty was a loving and generous Mother, Grandmother, and Great Grandmother to the large family that was started by her and John. She was our inspiration, our foundation, our guide, our counselor, and the person we all knew we could turn to in times of need.
Betty was preceded in death by her husband John, her parents Neal and Lena, her brother Harold, and Sisters Mary, Lyd, Ruth, and Joanne. She is survived by her children, Craig Cunningham (Beaatriz), Barbara Duvall (Monty), and Debbie (Montje) and her close nieces and nephews Kym, Shelby, Ben, and Neal Nichols. Her Grandchildren, Clay, Samuel, and Olivia Cunningham, Josh and Nat Duvall, Amber, Danielle, Justin, and Seth Plank, Great Grandchildren Alexander Cunningham, Ava, Lee, and Elliot Duvall, August, Levi, and Theodore Babcock.
