Brenda Kay Cunningham
Mrs. Brenda Kay Cunningham, 75, passed away Sept. 9, 2025, at Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge after a prolonged illness.
Brenda leaves a legacy of love, humility, selflessness, compassion and servanthood. She demonstrated her faith through service to her family, friends, church, work and community, and was rewarded with lasting relationships and friendships that remained until her final days.
She was born Nov. 26, 1949, in St. Louis, Missouri, to Henry and Betty Purcell. She was raised there with her family. She was active in her church youth group, where she met David Cunningham. They married in 1967 following her graduation from Cleveland High School in St. Louis, and they moved to Oak Ridge in 1968.
Brenda was active with Highland View Church of Christ in Oak Ridge, where she volunteered in the Benevolent Room, taught classes, worked in the nursery, and planned church events.
In 1974, Brenda and David welcomed their only child, Bridget, and raised her in Clinton. Brenda was heavily involved in Bridget’s schools and activities, serving on PTA/PTO boards, supporting dance, swim team and church youth group programs.
She began serving at Teenage Christian Camp at Hillbrook in Karns in 1978, continuing as a counselor, dean of women and sometimes nurse. Beginning in 2000, she also volunteered at Palmetto Bible Camp in Marietta, South Carolina. She had a lifelong passion for working with children, teenagers and adults, teaching and demonstrating the love of Christ.
In 1990, Brenda began working as a teaching assistant with students with special needs for Clinton City Schools, where she served until 2014. She embraced each student as her own, investing love and time to help them learn and grow. She was also a caregiver for her family, tending to her grandmother and parents in addition to her husband and daughter. She joyfully welcomed her four grandchildren, who treasured singing, dancing and shopping with “GooGoo” during visits.
She is survived by her husband, David Cunningham of Oak Ridge; daughter, Bridget (Darren) Fulco; and grandchildren, Beatrice, Adelaide, Clementine and Dash Fulco, all of Brentwood, Tennessee; brother, Donald (Lisa) Purcell of Elkhorn, Nebraska; sister, Tammy (Jim) Bottigliero of Naperville, Illinois; and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents and grandmother, Gladys Bolton.
A celebration of life will be held in Oak Ridge at the end of October.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Teenage Christian Camp in Knoxville or Palmetto Bible Camp in Marietta.