Samuel Ross Cunningham, 73, of Loveland Ohio, passed peacefully into eternity from his home on January 24, 2026 with Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.

Born in Adrian, Michigan on October 6, 1952, Sam was the second of four sons born to Loren and Catherine Cunningham. At the age of five, his father died suddenly, leaving his mother to raise four boys on her own. He developed a strong work ethic as each one contributed their talents to the family. Sam was known as the one who could fix anything.

Sam graduated 4th in his class from Adrian High School in 1970 and went to Michigan State University on an engineering scholarship. However, after changing his major, he graduated in 1975 with a degree in Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management. He began his hotel management career in Honolulu at the famous Ilikai Hotel. Then in 1978 he came back to the mainland to marry his high school sweetheart, Nancy Hurlbut, where they began their life together in Denver. From Denver to Orlando and ultimately to Cincinnati in 1993, where he managed the Regal Hotel, followed by the Holiday Inn Eastgate and Marriott Northeast. As a perfectionist and man of integrity, Sam set a high bar for himself and his employees, something that many loved and some found challenging. His heart was always to serve others with excellence.

While in Florida, Sam held various positions within the hotel industry as Chairman of both the Sheraton Regional Council and Osceola County Tourist Development Council and member of the Central Florida Hotel Association Board of Directors. In 1985, he was named Manager of the Year for his hotel management company, AIRCOA. In Ohio, Sam was the 2001 President of the Ohio Hotel and Lodging Association and served on the Clermont County Convention and Visitors Bureau Board of Directors, Clermont County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, and the Warren County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

In 2006, Sam left the hotel industry to pursue real estate investing and renovating houses with his LLC, Born Again Homes. He was back in his element using his hands and God-given gifts to restore homes. However, his next opportunity came by surprise when he became the Executive Director of Ivy Knoll, a senior living facility in Covington, Kentucky where he loved and served seniors for five years before retiring.

Sam would not say his identity was wrapped up in his career or worldly accomplishments, rather, his identity was in Jesus Christ. As a devoted husband, Sam lived out the Gospel…Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her. As a loving father of two daughters, he always put his family first. Despite a demanding job, he knew when to quit so as to never miss a performance, a game or an opportunity to be with his family. He loved spending summers in Michigan at their cottage where he taught his girls early on how to catch minnows and bait their own fish hook…a tradition that continues with his grandchildren.

As an active member of Kenwood Baptist Church for 33 years, Sam served in various ministries as chairman of the Deacons, Trustees, and Benevolence Committee. He was generous, endowed with a servant's heart, incredibly resourceful and quick to respond to the needs of others while preferring to work behind the scenes. He didn't wait to be asked for help but had an innate ability to identify a need and then casually meet it. He was a loyal Michigan State Spartan. He may have appeared to be the quiet guy in the room until he would unexpectedly use his dry humor and quick wit to break the ice!

In 2020, Sam discovered an uninhabitable, long neglected house in Loveland. Some said "impossible," but Sam said "potential." If he was told, "It can't be fixed," he was always up for the challenge as he loved restoring something broken to its original purpose or former glory. God provided Sam and Nancy with this restoration project of a lifetime. For the next five years, using the very gifts and talents He gave them, they restored it to a hillside retreat. They have been happily married for 47 years.

Sam will be remembered for his devotion to family, his humor, his selflessness, his commitment to excellence, and above all his love for Jesus, his Lord and Savior. Well done, good and faithful servant. May his example live on in those he leaves behind.

Sam is preceded in death by his parents, William Loren and Mary Catherine (Daugherty) Cunningham. He is survived by his wife, Nancy (Hurlbut) Cunningham; brothers, William (Marcie) Cunningham of Coconut Creek, FL, James Cunningham of Santa Barbara, CA and Joe Cunningham of Healdsburg, CA; daughters Emily (Michael) Shiverski of Loveland, OH and Amy (Marty) Homan of Clayton, NC; niece Lauren Cunningham and six grandchildren: Logan, Cody, and Paige Shiverski; Natalie, Mary Claire, and Libby Homan.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Monday, February 9, at Kenwood Baptist Church, 8341 Kenwood Rd., Cincinnati, OH, 45236. Visitation 9:30am Service 11:00am

The family is forever grateful to Crossroads Hospice for their compassionate support and kindness. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Kenwood Baptist Church Magnify Fund or Crossroads Hospice Cincinnati.