John Chester "Jack" Cunningham

Cunningham, John Chester "Jack"
Age 84
formerly of Omaha, passed away at Kettering, OH March 29, 2010 following a long illness. Jack was born in Des Moines, IA April 18, 1925 to the late Chester William and Lois (Kearns) Cunningham. He moved to Omaha as a child and graduated from Central High School. After graduation, Jack attended Cornell University in New York where he received a degree in civil engineering. Upon the completion of his undergraduate studies, Jack enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He was selected for specialized training at M.I.T. and served as an officer in the Pacific Theater during WW II. When the war ended, Jack returned to Omaha and married Barbra Osborne, his high school sweetheart. After being discharged from the Navy, Jack joined his father in the construction business. Together, they formed a number of companies and joint ventures designed to carry out specific government contracts and general contracting activities. Among their companies, Condon Cunningham Construction Co. handled a large number of projects involved in river work on the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers and the construction of the Granby Dam in Colorado. In the 1960s, Jack and his father partnered with family friend the late Peter Kiewit to form the Cunningham Kiewit Co. The firm handled Army Corps of Engineers projects. In 1961, Jack became vice president of Foster Smetana Construction Co. The firm 's projects included work on Strategic Air Command Headquarters and construction of bridges and roadway for the interstate highway system in the Midwest. Jack returned to school in the 1970s, earning a master's degree in urban studies and sociology from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. A dedicated conservationist, Jack was an active member of the Sierra Club and became an expert on water-related natural resource issues.
In 1978, President Jimmy Carter appointed him to the post of special assistant for water policy in the Department of Interior. At the end of the Carter Administration, Jack formed a consulting practice specializing in environmentally sound engineering practices for companies and governments seeking improved methods of disposing of waste materials. Jack relocated to Kettering, OH in 1988 with his wife, Pat Rousseau, and their son, where he joined Montgomery County's Sanitary Engineering and Solid Waste Management Department to conduct research into green technology solutions for waste materials such as incinerator ash. An avid runner, Jack competed in many 10k events and marathons including the Marine Corp marathon in Washington, D.C. at age 59. His community involvements during his years in Omaha included Ak-Sar-Ben, United Way, YMCA, the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce and the vestry of St. Andrews Episcopalian Church. Jack is survived by his wife, Patricia Rousseau; daughter Marguerite Cunningham Wilson of Santa Fe, NM; son Chester Kearns Cunningham of Tekamah, NE; daughter Ann Cunningham Moore and son-in-law Scott of Omaha, NE; son John Douglas Cunningham and daughter-in-law Christa of Frankfurt, Germany; son Ross McKenzie Cunningham and his fiancé Heather Seelig of Springfield, OH; step son Mark Rousseau and his wife Marianne of Little Silver, NJ; grandchildren Galen Wilson of Oakland, CA; Dr. John Cunningham of Denver, CO; Ryan Cunningham of San Francisco, CA; Barbra Cunningham of Omaha, NE; Meridith Moore of Tempe, AZ; Erin Moore of Omaha, NE; Mary Cunningham of Springfield, OH; Austin Seelig of Springfield, OH; Mark Rousseau III, Alex Rousseau, Eric Rousseau, and Julia Rousseau, all of Little Silver, NJ; and dear family friend Denia Herron of Dayton, OH.
A MEMORIAL SERVICE was held Friday, April 2 at First Baptist Church of Dayton. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to The First Baptist Church., 111 West Monument Avenue, Dayton, OH, 45402. The family wishes to extend special thanks to the staff of Springfield Masonic Community and Hospice of Dayton.