Obituary for Kathleen Beth Cunningham. 01-31-1959 to 03-12-2025
Kathleen Beth Cunningham, aged 66 of Great Falls, MT stepped from this life into the arms of God on March 12, 2025 following a hard-fought battle with a reoccurrence of breast cancer. She was born in Baltimore, Maryland on January 31, 1959, the youngest of four daughters of the late Charles Dawson and Mary Antoinette Snyder.
Kathleen is survived and terribly missed by her loving husband Dave and son Gabe, her sister Judy Goedeke (Charles), mother-in-law Elaine Cunningham, sister-in-law Laura Mathews (James), and numerous nieces a nd nephews and their children. In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by her stepmother Annie Devlin, sisters Susan Whisenand, and Dee-Dee Naesan, father-in-law Robert Cunningham, and brother-in-law Jeff Cunningham.
Kathleen’s mother passed away from cancer when Kathleen was only 2 years old. Her older sisters Judy and Susan played an important role as not just sisters but doing their best to fill in for a missing mother. Judy, the closest in age at six years older, particularly stepped up as a big sister, mentor, advocate, and at-times surrogate mother figure, filling the role of a mama-griz as she looked out for her kid-sister. Throughout Kathleen’s childhood and adolescence, she faced times of hard adversity and trauma. But rather than letting the pain of those difficult time pull her down, she burned it as fuel to propel herself to become the amazing and exceptional woman known to all who met her.
After graduating from Towson University with a degree in Public Health, Kathleen worked for several years at the Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore Maryland. This began a career that would include numerous positions helping others, first in a variety of medical field positions and then later blending her medical knowledge with the legal field and her keen mind as a medical investigator and medical legal consultant. Her passion was in helping others and numerous clients that she played a role in helping became lifelong friends. A highlight of her career was serving as the medical investigator for the Spence Law Firm in Jackson Wyoming. In all aspects of her life, she cared about the underdogs, the ignored, and the underserved.
Several years after she graduated from Towson, the mountains called and she moved from Baltimore to Jackson Wyoming, spending the next 22 years living in the shadow of the Tetons. Kathleen loved the outdoors, camping, watching wildlife, birding, rock collecting, snowshoeing, and even did a little hunting; filling antelope tags for several years as well as a moose tag that she drew in 1999. She was an avid reader, a student of natural and medical science and a lifetime learner. Kathleen loved animals, especially dogs and for nearly 14 years her dog Jessie was her much loved four-legged family member. She even created and sang songs to Jessie. During her years in Jackson, she also was involved in the local Jaycee Chapter where she made lifetime friends and helped with many community projects, volunteered with the local hospice organization, and was involved in her local church. Kathleen loved Wyoming and considered it as her true home for the rest of her life.
In 1992 she and Dave were introduced by her good friend and landlord Marty DeWitt. They married a year later in August 1993 in an outdoor ceremony that involved horses, a mule drawn buggy, Dutch ovens, open fires, and the blessing of friends and family. In 2003 their son Gabe joined the family, and they considered themselves truly blessed. In 2007 they moved to Great Falls where they lived until the present. In 2012 Kathleen was diagnosed with breast cancer, which she fought hard and defeated for 12 years. Following her successful first battle with cancer, she then volunteered at Sletten for several years bringing her skills and caring to help patients who were getting infusions in their cancer battles as she had a short time earlier.
Kathleen had a smile that could light up a room and a true beauty that beamed out from within. As Christians we believe that she will have eternal life, but she is terribly missed by Dave, Gabe, and other family and friends. The earth keeps turning, but one of its best has left us for now. Kathleen touched the lives of many. Even in death she was able to perform one last act of caring by donating her corneas. Sometime the week after she left this life, she gave two people the gift of sight. She would like that.
There will be a Celebration of Life Ceremony on Saturday, April 26, at 1:00 PM at Faith Lutheran Church in Great Falls. A time of fellowship will follow the service. In lieu of flowers those wishing can donate to the Great Falls Scottish Rite Language Disorders Clinic or make an “In Memory” gift to Susan G. Komen.
Author: Staff
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