Kenneth Menzies Cunningham

Cunningham, Kenneth Menzies age 87, of Cincinnati, Ohio passed away on Saturday, February 27, 2021. He was born in Somerville, Massachusetts on August 11, 1933 to the late Reginald and Elsie Cunningham (nee Goodland).

He was preceded in death by his parents and sisters, Elizabeth & Leonard Hill, Georgina & Don McLaughlin and Marguerite & Bob Wills. Kenneth is survived by his beloved husband of 41 years, John Spencer; son, Ted & Daniella Cunningham; granddaughter, Hailey Cunningham; former wife, Bonnie & Don Diedrich; sister, Sylvia & John Kolb; several nieces and nephews; extended family; and a host of friends.

Ken lived a long and full life finding joy and adventure at every turn. Growing up in Arlington MA with summers in Cape Cod, where his 1st job at 11 was shaking out sheets at a laundry. After high school he served in the Coast Guard, stationed in New Orleans, South Carolina, and Bermuda where as a flight engineer did search and rescue at sea (yes the triangle). After his discharge he attended UMass at Amherst, Cornell & finished at the University of Michigan with a degree in Landscape Architecture. Summer jobs on the cape during college included being a policeman on the Dennis police force. He moved with Bonnie to Cincinnati after graduation to manage the construction of Avon Products new headquarters landscape. Falling in love with Cincinnati/Glendale this became their home, where they started a family and raised their son Ted.

Starting his Landscape Architecture business he worked with many architectural firms. Planting the 1st street trees downtown on 4th street and working as far away as Chicago on large corporate campus projects. He taught at UC DAAP and later Miami University, was on the Ohio Arts council Board for two terms, studied to become a Kundalini yoga, took graduate courses in Gestalt therapy where he intersected therapy with design creating a framework for community based participation design work. Using this new process and working with Miami Valley Conservancy District many project in Dayton up to Piqua were completed (bike and river walkways in the 70's to bike trail systems in the 90's with hundreds of citizens participating in the design of the system).

I met Ken during his time at Miami U and soon we became a team. Doing a lot of education with EST/Landmark we set out to further change the world. Taking on Over-the-Rhine (OTR) in 1989, we bought a building with our English partner and renovated it to become a beacon of change and hope. Based on the north end of Main Street we opened a little space Liberties Eats and Drinks and re-introduced OTR to the Music hall crowd, art lovers, wine enthusiasts and other developers. Liberties helped with the creation of the Bockfest celebration now in its 28th year. Ken led participation meetings with other OTR developers, and they created the 1st list of how the city could help save the struggling neighborhood that was accepted by the City Manager and acted upon. During the 90's he expanded his knowledge in community participation with Peter Block and his group of city change makers. In 1999 the city engaged Ken to help prepare what became the 2000 OTR Development plan, engaging well over 350 residents, business owners, other stakeholders, and city staff. Bringing this diverse group of people together and having them successfully work out opposing views. Eventually this brought corporate development to OTR and the rapid renovation of many historic buildings, reinvestment in Washington Park, renovations at Music and Memorial Hall. During the OTR years Ken, John and the office staff mentored 9 neighboring children through their grade school years.

Along the way many of Cincinnati's Landscape Architects & Architects came through his office or classes at UC and Miami U.

In loving memory of Ken, contributions may be made to your choice of environmental or children's educational charity.


To share a memory of Ken or leave a special message for his family, please visit the guestbook below.