Paul Mckinley Cundiff

My wonderful husband and best friend, whom I love so much, Paul McKinley Cundiff, passed away to the loving arms of his Lord, Thursday, October 1, 2020 at 2:15pm at Johnston-Willis Hospital in Midlothian, VA. He was surrounded by his family, whom he dearly loved. Born on October 3, 1956 in Martinsville, VA, he was raised in Bassett, VA, from elementary school through high school.

Paul was the “fifth of four children” as he joked with everyone that he knew. His mom told me on our first date back in 1978, “Paul was a surprise baby, (as she showed me a photo of her other four children) but we wouldn’t trade him for a million dollars!!!"
Paul was the son of the late Sally Wagner Cundiff and the late Curtis Giles Cundiff of Ferrum, VA.

Paul was a 1975 graduate of Bassett High School in Bassett, VA. He attended Patrick Henry Community College in Martinsville and Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA. He graduated from Radford University in Radford, VA in May of 1982 with a BS in Business Marketing & Management. He told people that he was on the Ten Year Plan and graduated early!

He enjoyed a long career as a CAD Designer (Computer Aided Design for product manufacturers) using AutoCAD, Draftsite and SolidWorks to develop and maintain 3D models, finished drawings and documentation on a drafting and design team for multiple manufacturing facilities including Hog Slat, Newton Grove, NC; UTC Aerospace, Wilson, NC; GE Energy, Salem, VA; Corning Inc, Christiansburg, VA; Hauni-Richmond VA; Intellibot Robotics, Richmond, VA; Nibco, Inc, Stuarts Draft, VA; and Dometic, Mechanicsville, VA. At Dometic, Paul worked in the Engineering department and I was manager of Marketing Services. We were there at least 12 years at the same time.

Paul worked at DeWaynes in Selma, NC and loved it. He sold Christmas Trees and plants. He had just started a job at Publix Grocery Store in Colonial Heights, VA in August of 2020. We were planning to move back to the Richmond area when he had a stroke, which was quite a surprise and shock. We would like to thank the great people of Publix for welcoming him into their family and treating him so kindly in the 2 months (+/-) he was there.

Paul went through RCIA and became Catholic at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Martinsville, VA when he was 18. We were married on April 9, 1983 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Martinsville, VA when he was 18. Paul served as Eucharist Minister in several churches, was an Adoration Guardian, taught Catholic Confirmation classes, President of Parish Council, sang base in the choir at Our Lady of Guadalupe, Newton Grove, NC, was a member of Knights of Columbus (1st, 2nd, 3rd+4th degrees), Recording Secretary at St. Therese in Wilson, NC; Financial Secretary in Martinsville, VA.

Member of Catholic Young Adults, on Regional Young Adults committee; on the Catholic Engaged Encounter Team, attended monthly Marriage Encounter Circle, loved square dancing, ballroom dancing, shag and disco dancing. He was a trivia enthusiast, golfer, softball player, loved watching football, played football in high school, enjoyed playing board games, and spending lots of time with his children and grandchild. He loved our Dachshund doggies Gretta, Sophie, and Madison. He loved Get Smart, Morse, Endeavor, and GrantChester TV shows. He was a member of the SolidWorks Usergroup BACON SWUG, Graham, NC at Alamance Community College. He really loved creating things in SolidWorks.

He was an extremely loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, son and friend. He was affectionately called Papa by granddaughter Kyla, age seven. She would gleefully call out (PAPA+GRAM!!!) as she came racing across the parking lot whenever we would arrive for a visit from whatever town we lived in — and there were many.
He was preceded in death by his parents; sister and brother-n-law, Patricia and Donald Smith; brother-in-law, John Bussey and nephew, Jeffrey Bussey.

Paul loved flowers and took hundreds of photos of flowers. He coached Rec. & Association Basketball & Soccer for McKinley & Carter, our children. He called me Peaches. We were happy & loved being together.

Paul, I will always miss you. I love you more than words can say. All my love, Karen.

Paul is survived by his loving wife of 37 years, Karen Anne Gregory Cundiff; son, Joseph McKinley Cundiff (Christine), daughter, ElizabethAnne Carter Cundiff (Kevin Hudson); 1 grandchild, Kyla Lynn Cundiff, all of Chester, VA; brothers, Andy Cundiff (Margaret), Wytheville, VA; Terry Cundiff (Donna), Martinsville, VA; sister, Sylvia Bussey, Rocky Mount, VA; sister-n-law, Susan Gregory Sanborn (George), Chester, VA; brother-n-law Mark Gregory (Ann) Richmond, VA; nephews, Darin Bussey (Susan), Rocky Mount, VA; Chuck Cundiff (Brooke), Martinsville, VA; Todd Cundiff (Jaclyne), Stokesdale, NC; Christopher Gregory (Leslie) Richmond, VA; Cameron Sanborn (Ruthie), Chester, VA; Dean Bussey, Rocky Mount, VA; Sam Sanborn, Chester, VA; Hayden Cundiff, Martinsville, VA; Andrew & Christopher Atkins, Chapel Hill, NC; Mathew & Jonathan Hyde; Kernersville, NC; nieces, Kathleen Gregory Harik (Simon), Richmond, VA; Christy Cundiff Atkins (Allen), Chapel Hill, NC; Beth Cundiff Hyde (Alan), Sherry & Terry Smith, Rocky Mount, VA; Haylee Cundiff, Stokesdale, NC; Norah Cundiff, Martinsville, VA; Belle & Elsie Sanborn, Chester, VA; Kelsi Medders (Cameron), Rocky Mount, VA; Alex & Scarlett Medders, Rocky Mount, VA; and other extended family members and many friends.

The family will receive friends from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 7, 2020 at the Chester Chapel of J.T. Morriss and Son Funeral Homes, 3050 W Hundred Rd, Chester, VA 23831. A funeral mass will be held at 12:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 8, 2020 at St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church, 2700 Dolfield Drive, North Chesterfield, VA 23235. Interment will be held following the service at 2:00 p.m. in Westhampton Memorial & Cremation Park, 10000 Patterson Ave, Richmond, VA 23238. Condolences may be registered at www.jtmorriss.com .