Margaret Cunningham

1918 - 2008 Born in the gardener's cottage in 1918 on the estate grounds that would someday become the City of Millbrae, Margaret was the daughter of Scottish immigrants Mimah and Robert Ford - gardener and cook to the Darius Ogden Mills family. A lifelong resident of the Peninsula, Margaret graduated from Burlingame High School in 1936, then worked as a secretary in the high school counselors' office until 1943 when she met and married Edward Cunningham, a foreman at Oakland's Kaiser Shipyards where Margaret joined the ranks of Rosie the Riveter to become a timekeeper and help the war effort. After World War II, Margaret and Ed moved to Burlingame, and later to Belmont where Ed became a successful building contractor with Margaret staying home to keep the books and raise their two daughters, often volunteering her exceptional organizational skills to help service clubs such as League of Women Voters, the Girl Scouts, and candidates for local political offices. Always athletic, Margaret joined the Peninsula Tennis Club in 1952 as one of the first women to hold membership rights in her own name and was both a strong tennis player and a strong advocate for women's rights during the next 45 years. In her later years, Margaret substituted bridge tournaments for tennis tournaments at the "The Club", but still usually took home the prize. As a music lover and great organizer, Margaret helped run local square dancing and RV clubs after retiring in the mid 1970's so that she and Ed could travel the country visiting friends and family in their RV while attending hoe-downs and fishing in every lake and stream they passed along the way. She was preceded in death by her life partner and husband, Edward Cunningham, and leaves behind two daughters: Sandra Strout and Nancy Mangini (Michael), three granddaughters: Andrea Mangini, Corrine Mangini Blum (Andrew), and Erin Fletcher (Adam), and one great-granddaughter: Kylie Fletcher - all of whom will continue to be inspired by her courage, her loving heart, and her passion for life. Margaret passed away quietly on December 18, 2008 after a short illness. Donations may be made in her honor to two organizations she supported throughout her life - Planned Parenthood Golden Gate and the Peninsula Humane Society.