Jeffrey Allan Cunningham

Family has received word that Jeff passed away on Dec. 20, 2025, in San Diego, Calif., after a long battle with health issues. Jeff chose cremation and his ashes are to be scattered in the Pacific Ocean.

Jeff was born in Fullerton on May 16, 1959, to Ivan and Shirley (McCray) Cunningham. He grew up southwest of Fullerton on the family farm. Jeff attended District 11 Pleasant Valley Rural Schoolhouse from kindergarten through sixth grade, just a mile north of home.

He then attended Fullerton Junior and Senior High, graduating with the Class of 1977. While attending high school, he was involved as a trumpeter in the band, drama, speech, wrestling, and was a gifted artist. Jeff was a prolific reader. After graduation he briefly attended Kearney State College and worked in construction in Nebraska and surrounding states.

He enlisted in the Navy to see the world at the age of 24 and attended Great Lakes Naval Station in Chicago, Ill. He then was stationed in San Diego, Calif. In his 17-year naval career, he was an electrical turbine specialist, a military policeman and achieved the rank of Petty Officer 3rd Class. He got to see India, Japan, Australia and Thailand and many other locations while deployed on several destroyers in the Pacific Fleet and the Mediterranean Sea in the early 1990s.

He became an accomplished chef and served on San Diego Cruises, and catered the Winter Olympics in 2002 at Salt Lake City, Utah. He became head chef and part owner of the business “Wine Steals” in San Diego. He won many awards pair wines and created an exquisite menu to introduce people to small Southern California wineries.

Jeff was together with his partner and husband Michael Bartley for over 35 years. They loved to travel, going to Mike’s home in England and visiting his family in Spain. Jeff made friends everywhere he went, and was known for his generosity. He would often host sailors that couldn’t go home for the holidays or had no family, having large gatherings to celebrate. He will be very missed.

He is survived by husband, Michael Bartley of San Diego, Calif.; brothers, James (Rosanne) Cunningham of Kearney and Matthew (Janene) Cunningham of Fullerton; sisters, Carol Hasemann of Elkhorn, Jeanne Cunningham of Kearney and Julia (Steven) Kucera of Kearney.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Ivan J. and Shirley (McCray) Cunningham; sister and brother-in-law, Lana (Steven) Davis; brother-inlaw, LeRoy Hasemann; and infant sister, Mary.

Family requests that memorials be sent to the Nance County Veteran Memorial Fund in Fullerton.