Donald Ray Cundieff

Don Cundieff was born on June 14, 1938 in Brownwood, TX to Vivian Richardson and John Cundieff. He served in the Korean War as a Captain in the US Army; he then went on to work as an airline pilot for Delta Airlines for thirty-four years, the last of which he flew internationally. He was based in Atlanta but lived in Irving for thirty-six years. He is survived by his wife, daughter, four sons, step-daughter, six grand-children, two brothers, and a sister. He is preceded in death by his parents. He loved plants and animals, crossword and Sudoku puzzles, sitting on the front porch to watch birds and thunderstorms, identifying classic cars, well-made shirts, sharing ice cream with his daughter, traveling to the Pacific Northwest, problem-solving, star-watching, drafting floor plans, snow-skiing, telling stories about his life, listening to stories about other peoples’ lives, peace and calm, gratitude for life and heath, practicality, remembering the past, envisioning the future, and caring for with complete dedication the people he knew best. Don Cundieff died in Lufkin, TX of Alzheimer’s complications on September 16 with his daughter and his caretakers both holding on to and ushering him. He was 82-years-old. He will be greatly, greatly and forever missed. It is impossible to imagine this world without him inside of it."