Cunningham, Charlena (Pudge)

Age 80 of Oakmont passed away on Tuesday, June 3, 2025. Charlena was born in Oil City, PA on September 29, 1944. She grew up in Meadville, PA. where her family and friends called her by her nickname, Pudge.

Charlena attended Edinboro College (now Pennsylvania Western University) and majored in Art education. After teaching art in Grafton, OH, and in Meadville, PA, she moved to Virginia. There, she taught art at the middle school/junior high level from August 1967 through June 1998. Her last five years of teaching were in special education, learning disabilities. Helping students reach grade level reading skills was a heartfelt and significant achievement in her teaching career. Charlena retired from her beloved career of teaching in 2003 because of ongoing physical illnesses.

Her illnesses continued always to bring challenges but photography and creating art in various media brought engagement and enrichment to her life. She was a member of art organizations in Virginia and in Pennsylvania.

Charlena and Pam, her spouse of well over 30 years, were able to become legally married on October 21, 2011. There were joys and challenges over the years and they supported each other through it all with great heart. In 2009, they moved to Pittsburgh. It meant a great deal to be closer to family members, most of whom live in Pennsylvania. Kate, Bryan Elder (niece and nephew-in-law) and sons Colin and Sam lived nearby. Charlena and Pam greatly enjoyed the loving participation with this family over the years. And, they had special times with her sister Barb and husband Sam, and her brother Bill, his daughter Karen and Agata and his son Kevin, wife Kim, and their sons. And all Charlena and Pam's friends were very important to them as well.

In 2019, Charlena and Pam moved to the Longwood Retirement Community. Charlena, especially because of the Covid pandemic, did many little drawings to share with others during that isolating time. And Pam copied and delivered the drawings faithfully to more than 100 residents.

Charlena is survived by Pamela York, her loving spouse of 37 years, her sister Barb (Sam) Spencer of Meadville, brother Bill Cunningham of Erie, sister-in-law Stefani York (John Butler) of Bridgeport, CT, niece Kathleen (Bryan) Elder and their sons Colin and Sam of Pittsburgh, niece Karen Cunningham (Agata Siwiec) of Seattle, and nephew Kevin (Kim) Cunningham of Erie and their sons Ethan and Aiden. In lieu of flowers, donations in Charlena's memory may be made to the Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, Animal Protectors of Allegheny Valley, or the Persad Center.

A memorial service will be held at Longwood of Oakmont on June 21 at 1 pm.

Arrangements entrusted to the BURKET-TRUBY FUNERAL HOME CREMATION AND ALTERNATIVE SERVICES, INC., Oakmont.