Family Remembers Renowned Restaurateur

DENVER (CBS4)- Family members of Noel Cunningham are remembering the popular restaurateur after he passed away. Cunningham was the owner of Strings restaurant.

Cunningham was known as much for his generosity as a philanthropist as he was for his restaurant, a swanky eatery in uptown Denver.

"I'll miss him greatly," said Cunningham's wife Tammy. "He just wanted to care about people, love them, embrace them... that's what he did all his life."

Strings was Cunningham's livelihood, but charity work was his passion and legacy.

Once the youngest sous chef at London's Savoy Hotel, Cunningham found his greatest joy in feeding those dying of hunger. The Cunningham Foundation was dedicated to helping children in Ethiopia.

"What I know him to be is an extraordinary heart. An extraordinary person who looks into people's hearts and feeds them with his love," said Tammy. "It didn't matter who walked through the door whether it was a little guy with cancer or Shirley MacLaine, it didn't matter. People were people and he loved them all."

"He was my best friend for 25 years. I don't even know how to do life without him," said Tammy.

Cunningham talked about how he wanted to be remembered in an interview with CBS4 several years ago. Here is what he said, "When the time comes for moving on, we're not going to get any credit or points for having an extra house or 5 cars or this or that. Hopefully we get some points that we cared."

Tammy said he had been sick for several months but his cause of death is still not known.

A memorial fund has been set up for Noel Cunningham at AmFirst Bank in Greenwood Village.

AmFirst Bank
5201 S. Yosemite Street
Greenwood Village, CO 80111
(720) 529-5646