Area artist Charlotte “Shirley” A. Cunneff passed away peacefully, two of her five sons by her side, on June 3. She was 93.
Shirley “was especially fond of the watercolor medium, earning membership to various art societies and exhibiting her work for sale and in juried competitions.
Loved ones of Shirley Cunneff in her obituary
She received numerous accolades for her art, including the Garden State Watercolor Society’s Award for Excellence for a painting of abalone shells in 1996.
Private collectors from Hawaii to Paris have displayed her work in their homes.
Other passions included travel, cooking and speaking out against the Vietnam War. In October 1967, she attended the March to End the War in Vietnam in Washington, D.C., wearing her mink coat to show that it wasn’t just ‘hippies’ protesting the war.
Doctors’ wives were opposed to it, too.
Photo/ family via Thompson Memorial Home
Born in Philadelphia on Dec. 28, 1927, Shirley grew up in the Germantown section of the city. After attending Temple University and graduating from Moore College of Art & Design, both in Philadelphia, in the late 1940s, she went to work for a local department store as a sketcher of newspaper fashion ads.
She married Dr. Raymond L. Cunneff in 1953. While Dr. Cunneff was serving in the Air Force in Washington, D.C., Shirley continued her art studies at the Corcoran School of the Arts & Design.
After Dr. Cunneff completed his residency at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York City, the couple moved to Monmouth County, where, in addition to being known as a talented artist, Shirley was known as a devoted wife and mother and, eventually, grandmother.
She was preceded in death by: Dr. Cunneff in 1987, daughter-in-law Betsy in 2013, granddaughter Kiley, of Fair Haven, in 2015, and her brother, Charles, in 2019.
She is survived by: her five sons and three daughters-in-law, Raymond and Lisa, of Oceanport, Joseph and Lia, of Sugar Land, TX, Thomas, of Charleston, S.C., David and Susan, of Highlands, and Carl, also of Highlands; and 11 grandchildren, David Brandon, Jordan, Raymond Jr., Jamison, Shane, Shannon, Katie, Erin, Hunter, Patrick and Charlie.
All services are private.
— Edited obituary written by family and provided to Thompson Memorial Home
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