Richard Martin Gunningham

Richard Martin Gunningham, age 85 of St. Clair Shores, died Thursday, December 3, 2015 at Henry Ford Macomb Hospital in Clinton Township, Michigan. He was born July 5, 1930 in Detroit, son of the late Charles and the late Ellen (nee: Martin) Gunningham.With thanks and praise from a grateful nation, we pay homage to Richard for his service to our country during the Korean War era. As a soldier in our great U.S. Army, he served with bravery and valiance while having to withstand the rigors of combat,...and was awarded the coveted Purple Heart for wounds received in battle. For his willingness to stand in harm's way for the furtherance of freedom, for us and for our friends overseas, we honor his courage and patriotism and extend our posthumous gratitude for answering the call to duty with class.As an insurance agent, Richard held a position he found both rewarding and uplifting as each day was filled with helping individuals and families make the wise and caring decisions of protecting those loved ones they care the most about. He was great with people and loved engaging with them in conversation and learning more about how he could be of service. And being of service bore an entirely different twist when recalling the time from his past that Richard served as a St. Clair Shores firefighter. A proud and longtime resident of that fair city, Richard's public service memories were rife with life-changing moments and a special sense of accomplishment for a job that many just cannot do. Yet he stepped up to the plate and enjoyed the camaraderie shared among his fellow mates at the firehouse.When he found time away from work, the name of the game was "Golf" and his hopes were always for an uncrowded, sunny day on the links. There was just something he loved about swingin' those clubs in search of that holy grail,...the elusive Hole-in-One! And for his other sporting pleasure, there was no better or greater fan than Richard of his boys in the winged wheel, the Detroit Red Wings. A team steeped in history and a sport filled with all kinds of entertainment, Richard enjoyed countless memories of watching them make Detroit proud.Yet of all the things that brought Richard the deepest joy and pleasure, nothing could match the love and care he held for his family and friends,...especially when it came to those precious cherubs, his dear grandchildren. He was quite the doting grandfather, and devoted to each of them with a love and compassion that had no end. Whether family or friend, you knew you had something special if you shared a relationship with Richard. He touched a multitude of hearts and lives throughout his journey in life and leaves a legacy of love for all to embrace who were blessed to know him. He will be missed immensely and loved eternally.Richard was the beloved husband of Frieda with whom he shared 56 wonderful & loving years. He was the dear father of Cheryl (Ed Fagan) Kowalczyk, Pam (Doug) Shaw, Martin (Karin) Gunningham, and stepfather of Denise, Gene, Chuck, and the late Marie. Treasured brother of Jim, Bill, and Bob. Loving grandfather of 12 and great-grandfather of 3. Arrangements have been entrusted to the D.S. Temrowski & Sons Funeral Home, 30009 Hoover Road at Common (12 ½ Mile Road) in Warren.On Saturday, December 12th from 1:00 to 3:00 pm, the family of Richard Gunningham cordially invites you to join them for a luncheon being held in his honor at the Cherry Creek Golf Club, 52000 Cherry Creek Drive, Shelby Township, MI 48316. Please share memories of Richard at his memory book above.