Kim U. Cunningham

Kim Cunningham, 65, of West Augusta, Virginia, passed away on Sunday, July 19, 2026, at home surrounded by family.

Kim was born on November 1, 1960, in Palm Springs, California to James Morgan Updyke and the late Ursula Olga Schulz.

Born into a Marine Corps family, she spent time as a child in California, Oklahoma, New Jersey and Virginia, enjoying the majority of her teenage years on Okinawa.

She graduated from Kubasaki High School before going on to college at Virginia Tech, with the desire to study veterinary medicine. It was at Virginia Tech, in a microbiology lab course, where she met her husband-to-be, Tom.

Kim married Thomas Cunningham on October 12, 1985, in Virginia. Together they raised three children, navigated life as an Army family, dedicated their time to God and their church family, and ultimately settled in West Augusta to live out their retirement years enjoying the “slower pace” of hobby farming.

Kim was a natural teacher, homeschooling her three kids early in their lives and setting their educational foundations and love of learning early. Ultimately, she channeled this passion into educating others, spending decades as a private school teacher, primarily to second graders. While she was not able to finish her degree at Virginia Tech in her twenties, she returned to school at Methodist University in Fayetteville and completed her Bachelors in 2011. She loved time spent gardening, staying active as a swimmer, runner, and indulged in the care of God’s creations, pouring out love to family dogs, backyard chickens and cows over the years. She will be remembered for her kindness, generosity and thoughtfulness toward others.

Kim Cunningham is survived by her husband of over forty years, Thomas Cunningham; her son, Benjamin Cunningham and his wife, Kimberly; her daughter, Stephanie Cunningham and her partner, Bryan Fitzpatrick; her son, Matthew Cunningham; her grandson, Atlas Cunningham; her father, Jim Updyke and his wife, Grace; her sister, Christy Castle and her husband, Doug; her brother, Scott Updyke and his wife, Rita; and her loving in-laws, close friends, and church family. Kim joined her mother Ursula in heaven.

A memorial service and celebration of life will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, July 25, 2026, at Henry Funeral Home in Staunton.

Kim will be interred at the Cowles Memorial Cemetery in Ipswich, Massachusetts.

In recognition of the care provided to Kim over the years for cancer treatment at the University of Virginia, in lieu of flowers, the family has established a site for group donation to the UVA Health Foundation to support the caregivers who made a difference in Kim’s treatment over the years. https://getinvolved.uvahealth.org/team/839082

To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. – 2 Corinthians 5:8