Anita M. Cunningham, (Schürholz), formerly of Cumberland, RI, died on June 21, 2021.
She was the wife of the late Matthew C. Cunningham, Jr.
Born in Berlin, Germany, she was the daughter of the late Dr. Franz Schürholz and Anna (Ohrnberger) Schürholz.
At a young age, Anita came to the U.S. and worked as a secretary at the German Consulate in NYC, the German Embassy in Washington, D.C. and the German Consulate in Boston where she met the man she was going to marry later on. Back in Europe, she also worked as executive secretary for the General Manager of Kraft Foods, Europe, and as office coordinator for a prominent landscaping architect in Florence, Italy. This she considered her dream job. She also was the German teacher at St. Xavier’s Academy in Providence.
After her retirement, she tutored within the Cumberland school system and was an active member of Literacy Volunteers of America. She also supported Dorcas Place – Parent Literacy Center in Providence.
She is survived by her son, John P. Cunningham and his husband, John F. O’Rourke, her step-grandson, Thomas London and in Germany, by her two brothers, Franz-Hellmut Schürholz the late Dr. Wolfram Schürholz, her sisters-in-law and two nephews and nieces.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend a Mass of Christian Burial for Anita on Saturday, June 26, 2021
at Holy Family Parish, 195 Walcott St, Pawtucket at 10:00 AM.
Visiting hours are respectfully omitted. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Alzheimer’s Association in Anita’s honor.