John PW Cunnington

With love and sadness we announce that John Cunnington died peacefully at home with his wife at his side in his 79th year, after a brief illness. John was born in England and came to Canada with his parents at age five.

John was a member of the first medical class at McMaster University in 1969, graduating in 1972. After interning in anesthesia in Toronto, he served two years as a research associate in diving medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He then trained in general internal medicine for one year at Dalhousie University, and three years of internal medicine and respirology at McMaster.

John began practice in 1980 as an internist at the Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital. In 1989 he moved his practice to Bancroft, Halliburton and Barry's Bay, and then to Fort Francis for two years.

In 1991 he accepted a position as Associate Professor of Medicine at McMaster, where he served full time as internist and respirologist until 2013, continuing part time until 2018. For 18 years he directed the Physician Review Program for the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. In 2008 he took on the challenge of creating the first Physician Assistant program in Ontario, becoming the Assistant Dean for PA Education at McMaster.

Outside of medicine, John’s passions included deep water sailing, canoeing, travel, rock gardening and stone sculpting. He earned his pilot license and flew solo from Hamilton to Winnipeg, where his parents then lived. In retirement, he sought out hiking adventures in back-country Alberta, Europe, England and Scotland. He loved literature and classical music, at 58 taking up the violin. He also studied a number of European languages to facilitate his travels. Despite these accomplishments, John remained kind, helpful and humble.

John will be dearly missed by Yvonne, his wife of 40 years, his sister Francina (Steve Malleson), and his children and grandchildren. He is survived by Rosamond Bailey, his first wife and the mother of Christopher, Piers (Fei), Erik (Natasha) Cunnington and Cecilia (Fraser) Young. He will also be missed by his grandchildren, Elsa and Ryland Cunnington, Lucas and Elyse Young, and Aleksei and Neve Cunnington. Predeceased by his parents, Ray and Joanne Cunnington.

In lieu of flowers, donations in John’s name may be made to The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms or the Canadian Constitution Foundation.

Cremation has taken place. A Celebration of Life will be held at T. Little Funeral Home in Cambridge, Ont., on June 22nd, at 1:00 p.m.