Bruce Allen Cunningham

April 3, 1954 - March 3, 2019

Bruce Allen Cunningham, 64 of Traverse City, passed away at his home on March 3, 2019. A Celebration of Life service will be held on Saturday, March 9, at Kirkbride Hall, 700 Cottageview Drive, #200, Traverse City MI at 2pm. The family will hold a visitation before the service beginning at 1pm. There will be a light luncheon immediately following the memorial portion of the Celebration. Bruce was born on April 3, 1954 in Charlevoix to Ray and Jessie (Potter) Cunningham. He graduated from Charlevoix High School in 1972 and moved to Traverse City. Bruce landed a job immediately with a ski resort packing and grooming trails. He later worked as a mechanic and then as a trim carpenter. Bruce never had trouble getting a good job, and before long he put together a plan to start a well-respected tree-moving and landscaping business, Bruce’s Tree Movers, which operated in the Traverse City-Leelanau region for over 20 years. Bruce was an artist with wood. He was well-known, especially among family members, for creating the most unique, useful, and memorable gifts. He crafted mailboxes, cedar chests, coffee tables, furniture, playhouses, and a workbench made out of red oak for a dear friend. He built dog beds for nieces and baby tugboats for nephews. When it was time to build a house for his growing family, he did that too. Bruce’s mechanical skills were legendary. He worked miracles with his children’s vehicles on a regular basis. They only had to ask for help or advice and Bruce always had a true and practical answer. If Bruce couldn’t fix it, it was ready for the scrap yard. He loved golfing, boating with his family, spending time in the pole barn with his kids, and he loved nature and trees. His children were the center of his life, which he lived to its fullest potential. His smile lit up the world and his laugh tickled everyone who heard it. Bruce is survived by his son Marc Cunningham (Odessa Kevwitch), his daughter Bethany (Brandon Sauerman) Cunningham, and his former wife Terri Cunningham all of Traverse City. He is also survived by his mother Jessie Cunningham of Charlevoix, his brother Ben (Leslie) Cunningham of Charlevoix, and his brother Stuart (Gloria) Cunningham of Petoskey. Bruce left behind as well, a crowd of nieces and nephews who loved his summer picnic antics and games, his water fights, and his unique expressions like, “Holy Crow’s toes!” or “…colder than grass underware,” or “…finer than frog fur.” Bruce’s father Ray Cunningham passed away in 1987. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be directed to Northwestern Michigan College (WNMC) Radio. There will be envelopes available for that purpose at the service or at the funeral home. The family is being cared for by the Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home. Kindly share your thoughts and memories with Bruce’s family at www.reynolds-jonkhoff.com .