Harold Craig Cunningham
December 3, 1962 – November 26, 2023
Born in a Melbourne hospital, and growing up in Laverton, Craig was a Victorian through and through. He and his older brother Scott spent a lot of time in the backyard in simple pleasures, at one time playing cricket with a piece of fence timber.
When a family moved in next door, many days were spent over there playing with Julie and Sandra. Dad was a shift worker, and mum was happy for them to spend as much time as they wanted there. Many times the holidays were spent together, travelling around to regional destinations. The kids all got on well, which years later would bear unique fruit.
The boys looked forward to times spent out at Deniliquin, NSW, at Nan and Pop’s place. They enjoyed exploring the town, and they found the freedom exhilarating after being confined to home back in Laverton. Nan and Pop were quite happy, as long as the boys were back for meals.
Craig grew up and followed his brother Scott into service in the Navy, in the footsteps of their father and grandfather. He spent 6 years on three different postings. He took up scuba diving as a hobby and ended up doing a bit of work on the side, cleaning yachts and retrieving lost items at the marina.
When Craig got home from service in the Navy, he developed an interest in Sandra, the girl from next door. Meanwhile, Scott took a shine to her sister, and both couples were married within a month of each other.
Craig and Sandra settled in Laverton, not far from their roots, and three children graced their home. While they had their ups and downs, Craig and Sandra agreed to put the children first.
Craig became a Seventh Day Adventist in the late 1990s. It was a time of searching for him, together with his mother, Olive Elizabeth. In their SDARM days they were associated with the Keilor Park Church, and later Craig spent time in the Werribee, Schofields and Uranquinty churches.
After his mother passed away in 2011, Craig moved to Bacchus Marsh. That’s when his path crossed with Domenic, a baptismal candidate and future missionary student from Sydney.
Around this time an interest was struck up, and Nadine, Craig’s daughter, married Domenic in June, 2013. In time, four grandchildren would brighten Craig’s life. His last years were spent not far from them at Wagga Wagga, and he would often come over to spend time with his precious grandchildren.
It was on one of those trips to see his dear ones, that Craig’s car was hit from behind by a careless driver. The complications from this tragic accident eventually took Craig’s life. He was laid to rest in the Wagga Wagga Lawn Cemetery on December 6, 2023, with many friends and family attending.
Harold Craig Cunningham is survived by his brother Scott, his wife Sandra, his three loving children, Nadine, Nicholas and Paul, and four adoring grandchildren, Immanuel, Eleazar, Manasseh and Eden.