Dolora Gallagher Cunningham

Professor Dolora Gallagher Cunningham renowned Shakespeare scholar, passed away on October 28, 2010 after a brief illness. She was a resident of Mercy Retirement Home in Oakland for several years, and a resident of San Francisco for over 42 years. She had just celebrated her 90th birthday on September 4. She was alert and interested in all issues, events, politics, the 49'ers and many friends up to weeks before her death. Dolora had a large group of friends of all ages and walks of life and enjoyed them and entranced them with her wit, insight, concern and unique ability for empathy. She made the person with whom she was speaking feel that they were being listened and heard, as she engaged that person with total attention. Prof. Cunningham was born September 4, 1920 into an early California pioneering family of farmers in the Sacramento valley. Her parents were Anthony James and Marie Eymard Gallagher, and her brother was the Rev. Monsignor Eymard Gallagher, all of whom predeceased her. She is survived by Geraldine Gallagher of Virginia and the Robert Gallagher family of Wheatland. Dolora is remembered by her many students, colleagues and friends. She was married from 1945 to 1949 to the late James Cunningham, renowned poet. Prof. Gallagher graduated from Stanford University undergrad, and received her masters degree and her Ph. D from Stanford in 1953. She taught at Reed College in Oregon and State University in New York and at San Francisco State for over 20 years, in English literature and became Professor of English Emerita in 1992. She was much loved by her students, many of whom became her lifelong friends. She established the Dr. Dolora G. Cunningham Graduate Scholarship Endowment in English literature at San Francisco State. She was very proud to have been Director of the of the Shakespeare Institute of Oregon Shakespeare Festival inn Ashland, Oregon from 1963 to 1972. She was a founding member of the Shakespeare Association of America, member of the International Shakespeare Association, to which she was an invited speaker at Stratford upon Avon, and wrote and spoke on Shakespeare and early modern English literature. Her friends thank Mercy Retirement and the caring and kind staff for making Dolora's last years lively and comfortable. In lieu of flowers, a contribution to Mercy Retirement Home, 3431 Foothill, Oakland, Calif. is appreciated. A Rosary will be recited at 7pm on Thursday, November 4, 2010 at Lipp and Sullivan Mortuary, 629 D Street, Marysville, California. Mass of Christian Burial will be offered on Friday, November 5, 2010 at 11am at St. Boniface Catholic Church on Marcum Road in Nicolaus, California. Lipp and Sullivan Funeral Directors, Marysville, California, (530) 742- 2473. Send Condolences to www.appealdemocrat.com