Active in civic and church activities; family remained her focus
WINDHAM, N.H. — Beverly Claire Cunningham, 91, of Windham, N.H., formerly of North Reading, passed away on Friday evening, June 3, 2022 at Parkland Medical Center, surrounded by her family.
Beverly was born on November 16, 1930 in Lynn, Mass. She was the daughter of James and Catherine Langill. She grew up in Lynn and spent summers on Cobbetts Pond in Windham, N.H. She graduated from Lynn English High School and opened her own beauty shop. Beverly took time off to raise her family before returning to work in the office of Dr. Tallman Eye Associates.
Beverly was an active member of St. Pius V Parish in Lynn where she was a member of Sodality and worked on many bazaars. She was also an active member of St. Theresa Church in North Reading, where she was a member of Sodality, a CCD teacher, and with her husband Charles, was president of the CYO.
Beverly also volunteered as a Girl Scout leader and served on the Board at Austin Prep in Reading, and with her husband Charles, was president of the Nazareth Academy Parent Guild in Wakefield. Together, they successfully supervised Nazareth’s Strawberry Festival for three years. She was also member of the Parent Committee at St. Chretienne Academy in Salem, Mass.
Beverly served in many positions and was very active with the Cobbetts Pond Improvement Association in Windham, N.H. for many, many years. She was a Eucharistic Minister at both St. Theresa’s in North Reading, and St. Matthew’s in Windham, N.H. In her later years, Beverly volunteered at the Searles Castle Showcase in Windham, N.H. and became a permanent Room Chairperson. She loved every minute of her volunteer activities, and started the “Searles Girls” Red Hat Society in Windham, N.H. in 2002. But, as she would say, the most important part of her life was her family. She was the wife of the only man she ever loved for the 57 years. They were together until his passing in 2007.
She was a mother to two daughters, Sharon Dalton and Blaire McCarthy, both of Windham, N.H., and she was predeceased by her son, James Cunningham of Westfield, Vt. She enjoyed and was proud of her 12 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
Friends and relatives are invited to join her family for a funeral Mass to be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, June 21 at St Matthew’s Parish, 2 Searles Road in Windham, N.H. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of Beverly Cunningham to The American Diabetes Association, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or The Jimmy Fund.
