After a lifetime of preaching, Claud Thomas Cunningham, Jr. met his Savior face to face on January 19, 2021.

C.T. was born December 21, 1929 in Bailyboro, Texas to Claud Thomas and Nellie (Wortham) Cunningham. While attending First Baptist Church, Muleshoe, C.T. was "reborn" and baptized, and in 1950 he felt an undeniable calling on his life to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He was licensed to preach in 1950 in Carlsbad, New Mexico and was ordained in 1951 by the First Baptist Church of Plainview. C.T. loved people, and he spent 70 of his 91 years actively sharing Jesus with others. He pastored churches in Clement, California; Plainview, Texas; and Hart, Texas before being appointed to the Southern Baptist Home Mission Board in 1972. He served as a church planter starting eight churches in Kansas and Nebraska. After attempting to retire in 1972, he was called to pastor First Baptist Church, Alamo, until his final retirement.

C.T. married Sylvia Rhea Coffman on June 19, 1949, and they worked side by side until her death in 2010. They were married for 60 years. They had a daughter, Frances Steele, who passed away in 2015 and a great granddaughter, Alexis, who passed in 2012.

Survivors include a son, Tom (Janet) Cunningham of Lubbock, Texas and a son-n-law, Robert Steele, of Spring Branch, Texas. C.T. loved his seven grandchildren: Donnie (Denise) Steele, Ronnie (Jessica) Steele, Rachael (Will) Sampson, Phillip (Julia) Cunningham, Emily (Steve) Spurgin, Charles Mark Cunningham, and Andrew Cunningham. He also enjoyed twelve great grandchildren.

A family graveside will take place in Spring Branch, Texas. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hale County Meals on Wheels or First Baptist Church of Plainview.