Michael M. Cunniff never ran for public office, but he probably spent more time in the halls

and antechambers of Congress and the Missouri State Capitol than many politicians. Along the

way he knew and shook the hands of presidents, politicians, princes, ambassadors and the

occasional pundit,and knew many of them personally. He served as a liaison to various state

and national candidates for House, Senate and presidential campaigns; notably The Honorable

Richard Gephardt of St. Louis.

Michael Cunniff was a professional lobbyist and spokesman labor operating within the

inner circle of Democratic campaign politics as a strategist and organizer. He was an

unabashed liberal, but he was proud of his reputation with both major parties for keeping his

word and delivering what he promised.

He was also a passionate community leader in Springfield who graduated in 1964 from

what is now Drury University, majoring in history and political science. He was an active

member of Lamda Chi Alpha Fraternity. He began his career as a railroad clerk for the St.

Louis/San Francisco Railway, belonging to BRAC Lodge 149. Along the way, he trained at the

Brotherhood of Railway and Airline Clerks Leadership School (BRAC) and was a graduate of

the George Meany Institute. Among his mentors were Jack Moore, IBEW International

Secretary-Treasurer and Jack Gray of the UF&CW Union. Mike served as a registered lobbyist

and State Legislative Director for the Transportation Communications International Union.

Before his retirement, he was field education representative for the TCU Advanced Training

Program.

"Believe it or not, there was a time when members of both parties worked together on issues

and legislation," he said in a recent conversation. "I knew both sides at the time believed in

compromise and that what they were doing mattered to the country. Now it's more about

frustrating the other side than solving the nation's problems."

Mike had a wary sense of humor and appreciated that the reality in politics and life was

illustrated in editorial cartoons and comic strips.

He was a member of Christ Episcopal Church.

Mike was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on May 14, 1939, one of two sons of George E.

Cunniff Jr. and Edith Pauline (Stephens). His only brother, George E. Cunniff III, was killed

during the Korean Conflict. He is survived by a son and his family, Jason Cunniff and his wife,

Kara, and their two daughters, Jaden and Chloe, all of Battlefield. He has various relatives in

Massachusetts, Maryland, Iowa and North Carolina.

Mike could trace his ancestry to those who fought i n the American Revolution and f o r the

Confederacy, including the vice-president of the Confederacy, Alexander Hamilton Stephens.

He was a member of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution and the Sons

of Confederate Veterans.

In Springfield, he served on the boards of the Boy Scouts of America, Boys and Girls Club;

Community Foundation of the Ozarks; Family Center; March of Dimes; The Kitchen Inc.;

Springfield 2000; and the United Way of the Ozarks Loaned Executive Program. He chaired

the first Springfield News-Leader Advisory Board.

He served on the Springfield Planning and Zoning Commission, Springfield Area Chamber

of Commerce Labor/ Management Committee; the board of the Missouri AFL/CIO; Springfield

Labor Council. In 1984, he served as AFL/CIO floor whip and delegate at the historic National

Democratic Convention; as 7th District representative to the Missouri Labor/ Management

Commission; the Missouri Industrial Development Study Commission; and Missouri Railroad

Improvement Authority, having been appointed by Govs. Teasdale, Bond and Ashcroft.

In Springfield, he was a member of the Performance Society of the Springfield Symphony;

Friends of the Springfield Art Museum; Friends of the Garden; and the Audubon Society. He

was an avid bird watcher, a voracious read, and an avid supporter and collector of art.

Special thanks to Sally and Tom Netzer for kindnesses over the years.

Graveside services will be in Hazelwood Cemetery under the direction of Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home on Friday, December 1, 2023 at  3:00 PM.

Memorial contributions should be made to the Humane Society of Southwest Missouri or

the Southern Poverty Law Center, 400 Washington Avenue, Montgomery, Ala., 36104.