BELFAST – Orville “Orvie” H. Cunningham, 91, died March 10, 2011, at Harbor Hill. Orville was the son of Horace and Jessie (Devereux) Cunningham.
Orvie grew up and attended schools in Stockton Springs, where he also began his successful and varied work life.
As a young man he worked at the docks, cut and delivered ice and worked at Mosher’s Store and Penobscot Poultry. For more than 20 years he was employed by SAD 34 as a bus driver and custodian. While custodian of East Belfast School, he took great pride in maintaining the school and the grounds, especially the lawns. As a bus driver, he was proud of knowing all the students he transported. It was during his years with SAD 34 that he formed respectful, caring and long lasting relationships with his co-workers and students, whom he fondly called “Fred.” Orvie worked for Belfast Police Department and Waldo County Sheriff’s Department. He was also a Belfast Ambulance attendant and a Belfast Fire Department volunteer. He was a Shriner and Mason and was proud to receive his 50-year Masonic pin. Orvie adored his family and will be remembered for his sense of humor, gentle spirit and wonderful twinkle in his eyes. He was a great teller of stories and loved family gatherings where old stories could be embellished and new stories begun. Camping at Castine with family and friends, trips to the ocean to dig clams and backyard lobster bakes were among his most cherished times. Of course every occasion called for the highly anticipated and competitive game of horseshoes, at which he excelled.
Orville is survived by a brother, Albert Cunningham of Texas; a sister-in-law, Margaret Cunningham of Belfast;
four children, Charles Cunningham and his wife, Dianne, of Jacksonville, N.C., Lorraine Kane of Belfast, Denise Hood and her husband, Wayne, of Weare, N.H., and Stanley Cunningham and his wife, Laurie, of Belfast; nine grandsons, who gave him great joy, Gregory Cunningham, Keary Cunningham, James Willis, Kyle Willis, Patrick Hood, Jason Hood, Eben Hood, Chad Cunningham and Lucus Cunningham; and 19 great-grandchildren. Orville was predeceased by his wife of 61 years, Shirley (Frost) Cunningham; brothers, Devereux Cunningham, Donald Cunningham and Merlyn Cunningham; and sisters, Myrtle Fletcher, Cora Kingsbury, Phyllis Frost, Veda Scott and Jeannette Giovannucci. The family is sincerely thankful to the staff of Harbor Hill for the outstanding care that they provided for our dad during his stay with them.
A celebration of Orvie’s life will be scheduled in the summer. Donations may be made to Waldo County Hospice, 119 Northport Ave., P.O. Box 407, Belfast, ME 04915. Arrangements under the care of Crabiel-Riposta Funeral Home, 182 Waldo Ave., Belfast. Online condolences may be offered to the family at
www.ripostafh.com.