Skip to content

Russel (Russ) Howard Cunningham

July 1, 2022

H3O1I8F3-20220713093629
July 1, 2022
In Loving Memory ~
Russel (Russ) Howard Cunningham born in Saskatchewan in 1935 was a long-time resident of Nanaimo passed away from pneumonia on July 1, 2022 at Nanaimo General Hospital with his loving wife and daughter at his side.
Russ was a friend to many and a devoted family man. Originally a bartender at the Tally Ho where this "confirmed bachelor" met a New Zealand traveler waitressing in the dining room fell in love and married.
When Russ and Elaine were married in 1969, he started selling cars with his brother Joe Cunningham and his partner Graham Roberts at C&R Motors. Later he moved into real estate selling homes in Nanaimo with others at Frank Ney's Nanaimo Reality.
In 1979 he then turned his dream of owning a restaurant into a reality when he opened The Cottage Fish and Chips on the corner of Mt. Benson Street and the Island Highway with his wife by his side.
For 27 years Russ and Elaine served up the best fish and chips and home make sausage rolls, pies and butter tarts drawing people in from around the world and impressing food critics who did an article in the Vancouver Sun.
Russ was fun, kind, generous, always up for a good time but most of all he was a loving and loyal husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend.
A celebration of live will be held on September 17th, 2022, at 1:00 pm- 4:00 pm at the Nanaimo Yacht Club at 400 Newcastle Avenue, Nanaimo BC. Please come and share a memory or a story with us to remember how special of a person he was.
In lieu of flowers the family requests a donation be made to the Canadian Diabetes Association.

Service Details

Celebration of Life
Saturday, September 17, 2022
1:00 PM
Nanaimo Yacht Club at 400 Newcastle Avenue, Nanaimo BC


Secondary Title

Your condolences will be approved within one business day. You will need a valid Facebook account. Please email us if you have any questions.