David Lee Cunningham

David (Dave) Lee Cunningham – father, grandfather, friend, entrepreneur, business owner, naturalist, biologist, ornithologist, anthropologist, engineer, software developer, teacher, beer lover, wine lover, port lover, opera lover, jazz enthusiast, musician wannabe, traveler, recycling king, hiker, backpacker … the list goes on and on. Let’s just say, Dave was a true renaissance man.

Dave was born in Cheyenne, Wyoming on May 30, 1952. He was the oldest of three children, an army brat and spent much of his early years overseas in Japan. In his youth, Dave was heavily involved in scouting, where he attended national jamborees, Philmont expeditions, and became an Eagle Scout. He was also very interested in science. This interest started with home-made radios and culminated with an atom smasher built using his Van de Graff generator along with parts he scrounged together from the air force base.

He attended the University of Nebraska in Omaha and Creighton University but did the majority of his schooling at the University of Missouri in the Schools of Veterinary Medicine, Engineering and Computer Science. It was at the University of Missouri Medical Computing Center where he designed and coded one of the first systems to connect workstations for patient records to a mainframe.

Dave was not only didactic (a teacher) but also autodidact (a self-taught learner) and was always working on a project or new idea advancing theories in the areas of anthropology, archaeology, biology or physics. Dave helped start the Boy Scout Troop at St. Regis where his children attended school. He took his troop on countless hikes and camping trips. He also created a menagerie in his basement containing local fish, reptiles, and amphibians to aid in teaching. His love of teaching continued through his commitment to his girls and local girl scout troops, actively engaging them in learning about wildlife and the outdoors. These times were some of his fondest memories as he recounted converting screaming insect and reptile-fearing young girls into skilled and empathetic handlers. Later in life, he resumed his wildlife teaching with his Trail Ridge neighbors and with his grandchildren.

Dave was an entrepreneur and a pioneer in newsroom computing. Throughout his years in the industry, Dave and his partner invented and installed a broadcast newsroom computer system called Newstar at KCBS Radio in San Francisco. It was the first computerized radio newsroom in the world. That system was then installed at all of the CBS-owned television and radio stations in the US and subsequently in newsrooms around the world. He is considered to be one of the founding fathers of the computerized newsroom industry. After leaving Newstar, Dave created a new company, Generation Technologies Corporation (GTC), where he was later joined by his son, Jeremy. Over the years, Dave continued creating innovative software for newsrooms and other news consumers. Clients included CBS, AP, Bill Clinton's presidential campaign, the White House, Senate, House of Representatives and the Department of Defense. His innovations included an internet-based news contribution system which simplified news sharing between ABC, FOX, and CBS affiliates and clients around the world. His last accomplishment before retirement was the design and delivery of a full cloud-based news content management and distribution service. Dave wore many hats over the years at his companies, ranging from software developer to CEO and marketing director to paralegal and spent many long nights supporting his customers.

Dave loved good jazz accompanied by good wine and was an avid opera lover. He supported the arts community in Kansas City and appreciated the talent in the area. Whatever Dave pursued, he did so with gusto – he would never be accused of doing something half way (except for some of his home projects).

He is preceded in death by his mother, Beverly Jean (Truscott) Cunningham, who died October 2010.

He leaves behind his three children, six grandchildren, two siblings and father.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested contributions be made in his memory to Catholic Charities, Harvesters or The City Union Mission.

For more information or to share a memory and pictures, please email [email protected].