Patrick Cunningham

Some men are content to live rudderless lives, adrift in a sea of mediocrity. Patrick Cunningham certainly wasn’t one of them. Pat was a remarkable man, a true captain of industry, and a fearless, fun-loving leader of men. Most of all, he was a loving husband, father, grandfather and friend, who taught us to sail for the furthest, distant shore, just as he most certainly did.

Pat’s story began on a cool spring day in 1943, in the bustling city of Detroit, Michigan. Those were tumultuous times around the globe, as World War II raged on overseas, and no end appeared in sight. Yet on March 24, 1943, Daniel and Ruth (McEldowney) Cunningham found a reason to celebrate, with the birth of their first child, a baby son they named Pat.

Pat would be joined by four little siblings over the years, his sisters Mary, Colleen and Kathy, and his little brother Michael. The family lived near Lake St. Clair, where Pat formed his lifelong love for boating as a little boy in those warm, shallow waters.

When he was 16, Pat’s love for boating led him to work at the Detroit Boat Club on beautiful Belle Isle in Detroit, where he served as a dock boy. He found more than a steady paycheck there, however: he also found the love of his life.

Pat met a beautiful young girl named Kathleen Burke at the Boat Club, and though she was two years his junior and just 14, it was love at first sight for the two of them, and they quickly began dating. They continued dating after Pat graduated from Austin Prep High School in 1961, and while he was studying at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo.

The happy young couple was married on December 28, 1965, while he was still in college, beginning a beautiful life together. After he earned his bachelor’s degree, the newlyweds moved to St. Clair Shores for awhile, where Pat found work in the boating industry.

After putting in his time there, Pat found a good job with Bertram Yacht in Miami, Florida, where he began a long career with the company, and eventually worked his way up to President of the company, serving in that post from 1982 to 1989.

His career took him around the globe, all over the world, and he captained his company to uncharted waters, and unrivaled success. He became an incredibly well-respected member of the boating industry, admired for his success, and appreciated for his class and character.

Yet as successful as his professional life most certainly was, Pat’s personal life was even more rewarding for him.

Pat and his beloved wife Kathie were blessed with three wonderful children over the years, Stephen, Sheila, and Ryan, who made them so happy and proud. Pat was a wonderfully loving and supportive husband and father, and an excellent provider for his family. He taught his children by example, and passed on his incredible work habits, his tremendous ethics, his honesty and character, as well.

Of course, Pat was quite a character, too! He was a very fun-loving man, full of baloney, who enjoyed a good glass of wine and a fine cigar as much as anyone. He could be a handful at times, a strong-willed man who was sometimes unmanageable and even incorrigible, but he was always thoughtful and caring at heart.

In 1999, ready for a new challenge and wanting to return closer to his roots, Pat found both in the sandy shores of Holland, Michigan, where he became the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Tiara Yachts.

At Tiara, Pat found a new challenge and an incredible product that he truly believed in. His colleagues at Tiara Yachts, led by the Leon Slikkers family, provided Pat and Kathie with many years of friendship, support, and respect. In June of 1998, while overseas working in France for Tiara, Pat suffered a heart attack, and he was diagnosed with heart disease. He battled his health problems with the same fervor he did every challenge in his way. Pat chose to retire in 1998, but the friends he made throughout his career in the marine industry never wavered in their love and support of Pat and his family. Pat and Kathie are truly grateful for their extended circle of friends.

For the first time in his life, the hardworking Pat slowed down, and delighted in spending more time around the home, surrounded by his family. Pat couldn’t have been more proud of his four grandkids, Taylor, Brandon, Kurt and Hannah. He also found enjoyment in tinkering around his home, though truth be told, his son-in-law Kevin was usually the one to finish the jobs Pat started!

Eventually, though, Pat’s health began to wane, as the years of hard work took their toll on him. He continued to fight until the end, traveling to Ann Arbor to seek help at the Cardiovascular Center at the University of Michigan. Sadly, Pat lost his battle there on Monday, June 9, 2008, on the 10th anniversary of his heart attack. He was 65 years old.

Pat was a remarkable man, who lived a remarkable life, a life so full of successes. He was a valued member of the National Marine Manufacturers Association, the Miami Marine Council, and other industry associations. Pat was an active member of St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church in Holland, where he very much enjoyed the support of his parish family.

He is survived by his wife of 42 years, Kathie Cunningham of Zeeland; his children, Stephen and Tracy Cunningham of Miami, FL, Sheila and Kevin Pollock of Holland, and Ryan Cunningham of Kalamazoo; four beloved grandchildren, Taylor, Brandon, Kurt of Miami, Fl, and Hannah of Holland; his sisters, Mary Cunningham of St. Claire Shores, Colleen and Frank Escamilla of Mt. Clemens, Kathy and Bob Lopker of Boca Raton, FL; his brother, Michael Cunningham of Harrison Township; his sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, Mary and John Piccin and Marty and Diana Burke, all of Ocala, FL; and many nieces and nephews.

Funeral Services will be held on Friday June 13 at 11:00am at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church, corner of 13th and Maple, with Fr. Charles Brown officiating.

Visitation will be held on Thursday from 2-4 and 7-9pm at the Dykstra Life Story Funeral Homes, Northwood Chapel, 295 Douglas Avenue.

Burial will take place in Lakewood Cemetery

Memorial Contributions may be given to Children’s Advocacy Center of Ottawa County or St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church.

Arrangements by Dykstra Life Story Funeral Homes, Inc., Northwood Chapel. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com to share a memory or photo of Pat, or to sign the online guestbook.