Chuck Cunningham opened an architectural firm in Sandy Springs in 1951 with a partner, Jim Barker. The two of them designed residences, banks, schools — even a women’s prison that was later turned into a facility for men.
But they developed a specialty over the years before they retired in 1989: churches.
Gene Barrington of Cumming, now the owner of Barker, Cunningham & Barrington P.C., credits Cunningham and Barker with building a solid foundation for the firm, having designed 600 church projects in all.
“And since they retired,” he added, “we’ve drawn plans for 600 more.”
Cunningham’s and Barker’s clients included St. Ann’s Catholic in Marietta, Congregation B’nai in Morrow, St. Paul’s Lutheran in Atlanta, Roswell United Methodist Chapel, Peachtree Baptist in Atlanta, St. Matthew’s Episcopal in Stone Mountain and First Presbyterian of East Point. They also planned churches in other parts of Georgia, plus Alabama and Florida.
Some projects were renovations. Some were special purpose, such as education or recreation buildings. But many were primarily worship spaces.
Linda Miles of Canton, a former employee, said Cunningham was very sensitive to his clients’ financial status. “If a church was pinched, he would lower his fee,” she said, “even plan a project for free.”
Charles William “Chuck” Cunningham, 90, of Cumming died Monday of pneumonia at Northside Hospital — Forsyth. His funeral will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at Sandy Springs Chapel.
During World War II, he saw combat as a Marine at Guadalcanal and Bougainville, two notable battlegrounds in the U.S. island-hopping campaign against Japan.
Tall and husky, he was active physically, regularly walking at least three miles daily even at age 90, often at the hottest time of the day. According to his daughter, Pamela Averso of Cumming, he used to say, “If I could endure 120 degrees in the South Pacific, I can withstand 90 degrees in Georgia.”
She said her father could have built a mansion for himself, but he chose to live most of his adult life in a modest ranch home in Sandy Springs with his wife of 52 years, Rebecca Barker Cunningham, who died in 2001. Six years later, he moved to Cumming to be closer to his daughter and son.
Cunningham was a double-tither at his church and a faithful contributor to animal rights organizations; colleges such as his alma mater, Georgia Tech; and veterans groups.
His daughter said he was especially generous to elderly acquaintances who had no pensions, students who couldn’t afford college costs, and families beset by emergencies. Whether someone needed a cash gift or his considerable skill as a handyman, he could be counted on to pitch in, she said.
A former neighbor, Frances Hardin of Canton, said Cunningham’s kindness toward others was usually unsought by the recipients and unnoticed by others.
“Chuck had ways of finding out who was sick or infirm, and he promptly offered help that ranged from bringing groceries to fixing a roof. His life was a pattern by which others should style theirs,” Hardin said.
In 1965 Cunningham donated a kidney to his ailing brother, Bill. At that time it was a pioneering procedure, far more dangerous to the donor than it is now. Six months later, as Cunningham was recovering from the surgery, his brother died because, doctors said, drugs had not yet been perfected to prevent rejection of a donated kidney.
Also surviving are a son, Dr. Michael Cunningham of Cumming; and three grandchildren.
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