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Gregory M. Cunningham, (Col. Ret.) a resident of Belen, New Mexico, passed away peacefully on Sunday, January 12, 2003 after a valiant battle with prostrate cancer. He was born on September 27, 1940 in Grand Island, NE, raised in Portland, OR and has been a resident of Belen since 1982. In 1969, Greg graduated from Harvard University with a degree in Soil Mechanics Engineering. Greg retired in 2001 as the State Conservation Engineer with the USDA-NRCS after 42 years of service. Among his many accomplishments, he received 14 Awards of Merits, published 15 SCS/NRCS Technical Engineering papers and publications, and was awarded the Federal Engineer of the Year Award in 1999. Greg was a member of the U.S. Air National Guard from 1964 to 2000 during which time he was awarded the Legion of Merit Medal, U.S. Air Force Achievement Medal, and Commendation Medal. He was Outstanding Engineer of the Year NGAUS 1986 and Outstanding U.S. Air Force Engineer of the Year 1992. After 36 years of service to his country, in September 2000, he retired as Colonel and Commander of the 240th Civil Engineers Unit at Buckley AFB, Colorado. Greg was a loving husband, father, grandfather,and friend, always putting others before himself and will be greatly missed by all his family and friends. He was proceeded in death by his parents, Chester and Roma Cunningham of Portland, OR. He is survived by his wife, Barbara Ann of the family home in Belen; six children, Kristine Cunningham and Vincent Druktenis of Wichita, KS, Gregg Cunningham and his wife, Teri of Beaverton, OR, Scott Cunningham of Moriarty, NM, Becky Smallwood and her husband, Scott of Bend, OR, Bonny Cunningham of Salem, OR, and Molly Zettlemoyer and her husband, Ryan of Tigard, OR. He will be greatly missed by his nine grandchildren, Michael, Amanda C., Shelby, Amanda, Jacob Gregory, Samuel, Noah, Wyatt, and Erin. A Visitation will be held on Thursday, January 16, 2002 in the Romero Funeral Home Chapel at 1:30pm with a Funeral Service following at 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in honor of Greg to Presbyterian Hospice Unit, 8300 Constitution NE, Albuquerque, NM 87110 or M.D. Anderson Cancer Center (Genitourinary Oncology Dept.) 1515 Holcombe Blvd. Houston, TX 77030. Romero Funeral Home 609 N. Main St. Belen, NM 87002.
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