PMcClounie

Last updated 01:00, Friday, 13 April 2007

When flood waters devastated the centre of Carlisle in 2005, pupils at the Newman School were still able to take their exams, thanks to the determination of history teacher Paul James Cunningham.

He waded through waist deep water to save the examination papers so that the vital tests could go ahead – which they did, without any disruption for the pupils.

For Mr Cunningham, who has died suddenly aged 50, was a dedicated teacher who loved his job. He was involved in all sorts of social events connected with the school and sometimes arranged barbecues for staff and pupils. He took groups of pupils out on visits to historical sites and served as a school governor and as examinations officer.

Glasgow-born, he had his early education in the city and then won his degree and completed teacher training at Keele University.

His first post was at the Walton High School, in Stafford and he moved north to Carlisle in 1982, to become second in the history department at Morton School. Later, he became head of history at Newman School.

For the past 23 years he had been closely involved with the activities of the Cumbrian Teachers’ Theatre, where he played the leading role in Dr Faustus and twice played parts in productions of A Man for All Seasons.

With another Morton School teacher, he co-wrote two musicals, The Naughtiest Girl in the World and Angel Street. In addition, he had close links with the Tullie House Museum and with the Border Regiment Museum.

Although he always liked to spend his spare time with his family, he also had connections with the Catholic CAFOD organisation and he supported the activities of Sustrans (the Sustainable Transport network), Oxfam and the Great North Air Ambulance.

He leaves his wife, two daughters, his mother and his brother. He met his wife, Helen, when they were both students at Keele, where she was reading history and American studies and he was reading history and music. They married in 1980.

Mr Cunningham was a member of the congregation at Our Lady and St Joseph’s Church, in Carlisle and it is there that his funeral service will take place, on Monday, with donations going to the city’s children’s hospice. It will be followed by a woodland burial, in Carlisle. George Hudson and Sons are making the arrangements.