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 Harry
Glen Cunningham, age 73, past Grand Master of Texas Masonry, died July 8,
2007.
A true and dedicated Texan, Grand Master
Harry Glen Cunningham was born on January 24, 1934, on a farm in the rural
community of Oak Ridge near Ladonia in Fannin County, Texas. He attended
two public schools, Bartley-Woods and Ladonia High School, where he
graduated on June 1, 1951. He attended East Texas State Teachers College
in 1952 previous to joining the United States Air Force. From June, 1953
to June, 1961, he served in the United States Air Force Security Service
during the Korean and at the beginning of the Viet Nam Conflicts. He had
two tours of duty overseas in Tripoli, Libya and Nord, Greenland.
After being honorably discharged from the Air Force in 1961, he maintained
his residence in San Antonio. He was employed immediately by Sears,
Roebuck and Company, where he worked for 28 years in various managerial
positions throughout San Antonio and South Texas. He retired from Sears on
April 30, 1989. The highlight of Grand Master Cunningham's life is when he
met Barbara Harn Davis at Lackland Baptist Church in 1966. They married on
May 9, 1969. They have one daughter, Cye, and two sons, Sonny and Scott.
A believer of being active in community affairs, Grand Master Cunningham
was very active in church, civic and community affairs in San Antonio
since January, 1956. He served Lackland Baptist Church as a Sunday School
Teacher, Usher, Member of Finance and Personnel Committees, and Chairman
of the Long-Range Steering Committee, and trustee
The Grand Master was very community oriented. The citizens of his
community elected him to the Board of Trustees of the Northside
Independent School District located in Bexar, Medina and Bandera Counties.
He served in this capacity for seven years. He was a former member of the
National and State School Board Associations and the Greater San Antonio
Builders Association. He was a Past Member and Director of the San Antonio
Minority Development Council and Past President of the
Parent-Teacher-Student Association of Jay High School in San Antonio. He
was also a former member of the Valley-Hi Optimist Club, Heart
Association, Boy Scouts of America and Building Committee of Northside
Independent School District.
Grand Master Cunningham petitioned Somerset Lodge No. 1205 in January,
1967, and was raised to the Sublime Degree of a Master Mason on October
26, 1967. He served on many Lodge Committees throughout the years, serving
as Worshipful Master during 1975-1976. He was honored with a Life
Membership by the Lodge in 1978. He is also an Endowed Member of Henry
Thomas Lodge No. 278 in Smithwick, Texas, and a member of the Texas Lodge
of Research. He served as District Deputy Grand Master in 1979 for Grand
Master W R Lamb and has also served on various Grand Lodge Committees. He
was elected Grand Junior Warden in 1994, Grand Senior Warden in 1995,
Deputy Grand Master in 1996 and was elected to the office of Grand Master
in 1997.
Grand Master Cunningham is an Endowed Member of the San Antonio Scottish
Rite Bodies, serving as Venerable Master of the Consistory in 1990. He was
invested a Knight Commander of the Court of Honor in 1981 and was
coroneted a Thirty-Third Degree Inspector General Honorary in 1995. He
served on the Board of Directors of the Scottish Rite Dormitory at the
University of Texas in Austin since 1984.
Grand Master Cunningham was a member of San Antonio Chapter No. 381, Royal
Arch Masons, San Antonio Council No. 14, Royal and Select Masters, San
Antonio Commandery No. 7, Knights Templar, Texian York Rite College No.
60, Saint Anthony Conclave Red Cross of Constantine, Texas College, and
Societas Rosicruciana. He was also a member of Alzafar Temple A.A.O.N.M.S.
of San Antonio, San Antonio Council No.261, Allied Masonic Degrees, Omala
Grotto of San Antonio, Fort Sam Houston No. 17, National Sojourners and
invested with an Honorary Legion of Honor, Albert Pike Chapter of DeMolay.
Grand Master Cunningham and his wife, Barbara, were Members of Somerset
Chapter No. 730, Order of the Eastern Star, in Somerset, Texas. They were
also members of District 5, Section 7, Past Matrons and Past Patrons
Association in San Antonio as well as District 5, Past Matrons and Past
Patrons Association. The Grand Master served twice as Worthy Patron of
Somerset Chapter No. 730. He served as Grand Sentinel (19861987),
Associate Grand Patron (1987-1988) and as Worthy Grand Patron of the Grand
Chapter of Texas (1988-1989).
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