Tracie "Kat" Cunningham

1964 - 2025

Tracie "Kat" Cunningham

04/07/64 - 08/19/25

Tracie Kathleen Cook Cunningham, better known to her friends and family as "Kat" passed away on August 19, 2025 at her home in Toledo, Ohio.

Kat was born April 7, 1964 in Grand Rapids, Michigan to Anita Similuk Cook and Delbert Cook.

Kat was a light to many, known for her kindness, her compassion, and the way she brought people together. Her goofy sense of humor made everyone feel instantly at ease with her.

She was extremely intelligent, and a gifted, self-taught genetic genealogist. She poured her heart into helping others discover their family roots, always eager to share her knowledge and lend a hand and loved assisting people with interpreting their DNA results and mapping out their family trees. She was extremely adept at helping those with missing pieces – adoptees, donor-conceived, and "NPEs" - find answers to their family history questions. She was a caring friend who always had an ear to listen. She was an early adopting computer hacker, loved heavy metal music, laughing with her friends, good food, and spoiling her cat. She was affectionately known to her grandchildren as Grandma Tattoo.

Kat leaves to cherish her memory, her mother, Anita Similuk Cook; her children, Nicole Zaki, Daniel Kahn (Ellie), and Melissa Nelson (Daniel); a half-sister, Terri Curley; her grandchildren: Kefirah Kohen, Kivi Kat Kohen, Akiva Kohen, Aniki Kohen, Kianna Dyogi, and Zackary Nelson; her step-daughter, Amber Cunningham and her sons; and her beloved cat Princess, and many other family members and close friends who will miss her greatly. She was preceded in death by her father, Delbert Cook.

Her spirit, imperfect yet beautiful, is finally at peace. Kat, you are free, spread your wings and fly.