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McCleery Beall Cunningham, 92, of Rock Hill, formerly of Hartsville, died peacefully on November 8, 2019, surrounded by his family. Mac was born on February 2, 1927, in Williston, SC. He was the son of the late William Edgar Cunningham and Elizabeth Pettit Floyd Cunningham. He was raised in his ancestral home in Liberty Hill, SC. After graduation from Camden High School, he served in the U.S. Navy as a signalman on the U.S.S. Beatty destroyer in World War II. After the war, he attended Presbyterian Junior College and graduated with a degree in Chemistry from the University of South Carolina. Mac worked in Research and Development at Sonoco Products Company in Hartsville, SC for 41 years. He loved new product development and served as manager of Research and Technical Engineering. He was awarded 57 U.S. and foreign patents for his work while at Sonoco. He was a member of First Presbyterian Church in Hartsville where he served as an Elder, Deacon, and Sunday School teacher. He was a past president of the Hartsville Civitan Club and served on the Coker College Board of Visitors. He spent many years after retirement mentoring young students. He was an avid woodworker and was a charter member of the Hartsville Woodworkers Club. His family and friends cherish the beautiful furniture and handmade pieces that he made especially for them. Survivors include his wife of 69 years, Lillian Watts Cunningham, his son Robert McCleery Cunningham and wife Janis of Denver, NC, his son William Frederick Cunningham and wife Michelle of Rock Hill, SC, his daughter Elizabeth Cunningham Gault and husband David of Rock Hill, SC, and grandchildren William Cunningham, Caroline Cason, Elizabeth Ligon, Maggie Cunningham, Hannah Dunn, Anna Burch, and Bryce Batchelor, and great-grandchildren Claire Cason, Camille Cason, Atticus Dunn, and Cullen Cason. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, November 11, 2019, at First Presbyterian Church in Hartsville, SC, followed by a brief reception in the church narthex. His burial will take place at 3:30 p.m. at the Liberty Hill Presbyterian Church cemetery in Liberty Hill, SC. Brown-Pennington-Atkins Funeral Home is caring for the family. Memorials may be sent to First Presbyterian Church in Hartsville, SC, Liberty Hill Presbyterian Cemetery Association in Liberty Hill, SC, or to the charity of one's choice.

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Mr. McCleery Beall Cunningham

February 2, 1927 - November 8, 2019