Joe Cunningham
Joseph “Joe” L. Cunningham, 75, of Waukon passed away Saturday, November 20, 2021 at Good Samaritan Society in Waukon after suffering a stroke while camping in Michigan. Funeral services will be held Friday, December 10 at 11 a.m. at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon with Fr. John Moser officiating. Burial will be at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Waukon.
Friends may greet the family from 4-7 p.m. Thursday, December 9 at Martin - Grau Funeral Home in Waukon, where there will be a 3:30 p.m. scripture service. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to St. Patrick Church, St. Patrick School, or to the Waukon City Park for landscaping the pergola and stream that Joe helped build and for benches along the five bridges trail. Checks can be made out to Waukon City Parks and mailed to the Waukon Wellness Center at 1220 3rd Ave. NW #101, Waukon, IA 52172.
Joseph “Joe” Leo Cunningham was born June 23, 1946 in Waukon, the son of Willard “Leo” and Kathryn “Lavon” (Regan) Cunningham. He attended St. Patrick Catholic School in Waukon and graduated in 1964. In 1969, he received a BS degree in Pharmacy from Drake University.
After working in Des Moines a short time, Joe received a commission in the United States Public Health Service and served three years as a pharmacy officer at the U.S.P.H.S Hospital in Norfolk, VA. During this time, Joe met his future wife, Mary Schuster, a nurse in the U.S. Navy serving at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Portsmouth, VA. Joe and Mary were united in marriage May 6, 1972.
In 1973, the Cunninghams returned to Waukon, where Joe went into a partnership with Dan Regan at Regan’s Pharmacy. In 1981, he purchased the remaining balance of the business and operated it until October of 2000, when he sold the business to Hartig Drug.
Joe was very active in the local community as well as in the pharmacy profession. He made the community a better place with his past work as a city councilman, president and board member of the Waukon Chamber of Commerce, vice-president and board member of Waukon Industries, president and board member of Allamakee County Economic Development, first chairman of the Allamakee County E-911 emergency alert board, chairman of the Waukon Planning and Zoning Commission, Director of Pharmacy at Veterans Memorial Hospital, parish council member and president of the parish council at St. Patrick Church, board member of the Iowa Pharmacists Association, board member of the National Healthmart Pharmacy Advisory Board, board member of the Iowa Pharmacy Service Corporation, and committee member for fund drives for the swimming pool and hospital. In 2004, Joe was recognized as Person of the Year by the Waukon Chamber of Commerce.
When Joe was not helping the community, he could be found traveling, camping, woodworking, and enjoying time spent with friends and family.
Joe is survived by his wife, Mary; his children: Brian (Laura) Cunningham of Chaska, MN, Patrick (Carrie) Cunningham of Holmen, WI, Michael (Brittney) Cunningham of Urbandale and Thomas (Lindsay) Cunningham of Cedar Falls; his grandchildren: Lily, Sadie, Regan, Connor, Elliott, Ruby, Will, Hazel and Jude Cunningham; his three siblings: Kay (Virgil) Johnson, Ann Fossum and Daniel (Sharon) Cunningham, all of Waukon; and many nieces, nephews and other relatives.
Joe was preceded in death by his parents, Leo and Lavon Cunningham; his brother, William “Bill” Cunningham; his niece, Kristi Megan Cunningham; and many aunts and uncles.
Casketbearers will be Brian, Patrick, Michael, Tom and Dan Cunningham, and Virgil Johnson.
Online condolences may be left at www.martinfunerals.com.
