Ralph L. “Rocky” Cunningham, Jr., of Medford, passed away Wednesday, March 3rd. He was 75. Born and raised in Winthrop, he was the cherished son of the late Ralph L. and Jeannette (Connors) Cunningham.
The close bonds Ralph shared with his children, friends, and his church will be among his most cherished legacies. Ralph’s generosity of spirit, willingness to help others, stewardship of his faith, and love for his pets were among his most striking and beloved attributes. Ralph was a lector and altar server at St. Joseph’s Church in Medford, MA, and was proud of opportunities to extend his mission as a Eucharistic minister. Ralph connected easily with others, enjoyed people, and had that rare kind of compassion that people admired. If you needed to talk, Ralph was there to listen. Ralph was a patriot at heart and loved his country; he was a staunch supporter and had tremendous respect for veterans, including the late James “Jimmy” H. Carr, his lifelong best friend. Ralph was also well known for his humor and desire to make others laugh; if you emailed with Ralph, your inbox can attest to his avid love of sharing jokes with others.
From his earliest years Ralph was an all-star athlete. At the age of six he was a top alpine skier, taking racing lessons at Mont Tremblant in Quebec, Canada. Ralph was a star pitcher and outstanding outfielder in youth baseball and work softball leagues. He also enjoyed team wrestling in high school. His true passion was ice hockey. Ralph was a talented team player and he officiated games up through semi-pro leagues. A testament to his skill, he was scouted to referee for the National Hockey League, only to discover he was too old at the age of 24. Ralph also led an active lifestyle enjoying the beauty of the New England outdoors. He was a great swimmer, and loved camping, canoeing, boating, and foliage trips. Among Ralph’s other pursuits and hobbies were auto mechanics, performance cars, racing at New England Dragway, and model railroading. Ralph’s life was greatly enriched especially in his later years by the camaraderie and shared interests at his model railroading club.
Ralph earned his Bachelor of Arts from Northeastern University where he studied civil engineering. Over the years his career took him around New England from Boston, MA, to Berlin, NH. His work was meaningful to him and he took much pride in a multitude of accomplishments. Ralph was often the Lead Manager, and oversaw and enjoyed collaborating on a wide variety of projects including road reconstruction, routing and repair of underground water mains, installing new underground fuel lines at Logan Airport, and creating water and wastewater infrastructure including operations for a new water treatment plant in Lowell, MA. Ralph forged many ties in the city of Boston and shared fond memories of on-site work at iconic landmarks such as the former Hotel Madison (implosion), the original Boston Garden, Northern Avenue, Logan Airport, and the Deer Island Water Treatment plant.
Ralph was the devoted father of Randy Cunningham, and Laura Cavanagh and her husband William. He was the loving Papa of Dylan and Hunter Cavanagh. He was the former husband and dear friend of Mabel (Noftle) Cunningham. Ralph was also married to Robin Stow.
Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to visit with the family on Thursday, March 11th from 9 to 11 AM at the Dello Russo Funeral Home, 306 Main St., Medford, followed by a funeral mass celebrated in St. Joseph Church, 118 High St., Medford, at 11:30 AM. Social distancing protocols will be in place during all services. Interment will be private.
In lieu of flowers contributions may be made in Ralph’s name to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, 1235 South Clark St., Suite 910, Arlington, VA 22202.