OBITUARY: James Alvin ‘Cutter’ Cunningham III, 83, dies Jan. 24, 2014

James Alvin Cunningham III, better known as “Cutter,” went to meet his Heavenly Father on Jan. 24, 2014, peacefully at last. He lived on Lake Buchanan for the last 27 years. He died in Round Rock at Seton Hospital from complications due to cancer.

Cutter was a loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and friend.

He was born in Brownwood, Texas, on July 30, 1930, to James Alvin “Cutter” Cunningham II and Mildred Milholon Cunningham, their only child. Cutter graduated from Zephyr High School with a class of 13, seven girls and six boys. He was an all-district playmaker in basketball.

His early days were spent on the farm of his grandparents, whom he called “Jim Papa” and “Mimusa,” fishing and hunting. He loved the outdoors.

In a struggle the last four years with memory issues after a quadruple bypass, he would talk so much about his grandparents and parents. His dad ran a drug warehouse in Brownwood, and his mother was a registered nurse.

He started his first job at Weekly Watson Hardware in Brownwood and then went on to San Angelo to be the buyer and salesperson at Bateman Sporting Goods. From there, he started a career as a fishing tackle and hunting manufacturers’ representative covering four states, which he did for almost 37 years of his life. He was one of the first Heddon representatives. He also represented many of the major outdoor lines and was respected by all.

For 13 years, Cutter took his love of fishing and started a fishing guide service on Lake Buchanan until his retirement in 2000. Memories were made for so many, including clients and lifelong friends. He was a renowned black bass fisherman in the state of Texas. No matter where he went across the United States or Mexico, he had to put a hook in the water. He fished in Belize and the Cayman Islands, but his favorite place was Mexico. You would have to watch out if you fished with him because they would bite his hook first! He would share his techniques with anyone who would listen. Cutter was featured in nine fishing TV shows broadcast in Texas and nationally.

He was a lover of nature and spent every minute outdoors working with plants, collecting rocks, watching the deer at sunrise and sunset. He loved feeding and watching birds, and his yard looked as if it were raining birds. He was such an animal lover, spoiling his cats Miss Kitty and Chase. The neighborhood dogs Reese and Prince visited him daily. The grandchildren’s pets knew when you mentioned his name that he was coming as their wagging tails would near beat you to death.

Cutter was an excellent cook and loved sharing his gourmet foods with his family and friends. He made the best shrimp gumbo and fish chowder anyone had ever tasted. He never used a recipe or measured, but it was always perfect, and he even had a cookbook published with his wife featuring fish and seafood recipes.

Cutter came by his nickname honestly as he loved playing pranks and cutting up. A book could be written with all of the jokes he had stored in his head. He could keep you entertained from dusk to dawn.

He loved the Lord and was a member of Chapel of the Hills Baptist Church.

He loved his family and was so very proud of them all, and he loved his friends.

He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Donna Harper Cunningham; children, Cathy Mundy and husband Mike of Midland, Beverly Day and husband Gene of Lubbock, Jim Cunningham and wife Hollye of New Braunfels and Diane Newton and husband Terry of Bangs; stepchildren, Lisa Patterson and husband Phil of Henrietta, Lori Wood of Manor, Bubba Carter of Round Rock and Kelly Pogue and husband Kyle of Spring; 17 grandchildren; and 16 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

Visitation is 6-8 p.m. Jan. 27 at Clements-Wilcox Funeral Home, 306 Texas 29 East in Burnet, (512) 756-2222. A service is 11 a.m. Jan. 28 at the funeral home. Burial will follow at Bluffton Cemetery. Officiating the service are the Revs. Kevin McDonald and Steve Leftwich. Pallbearers will be grandsons Shan Newton, Jon Cooke, Nick Wood and Ryan Kim and great-grandsons Jacob Medrano and Connor Garza.

Memorials may be made to Chapel of the Hills to benefit its youth ministry.

Special thanks to the nurses of Seton Williamson Round Rock for the loving care they demonstrated in his final hours.