Dylan Cunningham Wiki – Dylan Cunningham Biography
Dylan Cunningham was a South Holland Firefighter Dylan Cunningham Remembered as a Hero who died Wednesday night following an underwater dive incident
Friday morning a pack of delivered newspaper sat outside the door of the South Holland Fire Station, as no one wanted to see the front page picture of his beloved son, Dylan Thomas Cunningham.
The news of the tragic death of a firefighter will be another bleak reminder that the partner and prospective father will not report for the next shift of duty. The South Dutch firefighter and the Illinois Army National Guard died Wednesday night following an underwater diving at Haigh Quarry Lake in Kankakee.
The youthful image of the 29-year-old Cunningham on the front page reflected a young scout in uniform, not an experienced firefighter / paramedic.
The OSFM is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of South Holland Firefighter Dylan Cunningham. Cunningham has been a member since 2011. The OSFM sends our thoughts and prayers to his family, friends, and brothers and sisters at the South Holland Fire Department. pic.twitter.com/AyVHHBnXmD
— Office of Illinois State Fire Marshal (@ILFireMarshal) October 3, 2020
“He was always a busy boy as a child,” said his mother, Rosemary Cunningham. “He saw his sister riding on two wheels and immediately wanted to remove the training wheels. In two years and eight months, he was riding his black and orange confetti bike on two wheels.”
It was the same in swimming. “It was a fish,” remembers his mother. That same summer, when the family was at a hotel, it dived into that deep end. To save the boy, a well-meaning stranger jumped. But Dylan walked away safely, knowing he could swim well, while his mother watched him.
“Dylan was a focused and mature youth who was a great village worker,” said Don Degraff, Mayor of South Holland. “Our village administration and management acknowledge the quality of his character and his special personality. He represented very well who we are as a village. We will significantly miss his further contributions.”
Dylan and his fiancee, Laura Nye, suspended wedding plans during the epidemic, but she chose to add Cunningham as her last name.
A few months ago it surprised him with the news.
“Dylan cried when he found out he was a baby boy,” Laura said. “And then he started screaming loudly, ‘It’s a boy!’
Dylan’s brother, Cody, said “The Hero.” “Hero always.”
South Holland Fire Chief Brian Kolosh echoed the same thought. His own son Garrett is best friends with young Cody. When Kolosh worried about where the children were in their early teens, he was routinely relieved with the words “Don’t worry daddy, we’re with Dylan” Kolosh recalled from his desk in the fire station. “And that was all I had to hear. They were all like my sons.”
Dylan started working part-time for the South Holland Fire Department in 2011 and was sworn in full-time in 2018. During this time, he joined the Illinois Army National Guard in 2012. He had won the rank at the end of his service in 2020. Sergeant and served in both Chemical Operations and Infantry units. He also studied fire science at Prairie State College.
In October 2018, he received a Gold Seal from the South Cook County EMS medical director for his work in rescuing a patient in an EMS call.
“Dylan was a beloved member of our fire brigade family,” Kolosh said. “He embodied all the qualities of a dedicated, loyal, hardworking and professional firefighter. We are devastated by this loss and we are saddened by Dylan’s family.”
Dylan’s heroic stories briefly suspended the family’s grief on Friday afternoon as the memorial plans drafted.
When Dylan grabbed a hot diaper from a driveway, he made a phone call. After his sixth sense, he returned minutes later to save the life of a newborn abandoned in the garbage.
“Instinct,” Dylan’s sister, Courtney, said. “Dylan was someone who never hesitated.”
Other stories helped the family cope and laugh.
Dylan’s love for his family was well known. Stories of how protective she was towards her older sister was a role model for her younger brother and how close she was to her mother. Cody and Courtney named Dylan their best friends, and the three shared many friends around them.
Dylan was a multi-sports athlete at his local Thornwood High School, and he particularly enjoyed using his younger brother Cody as his teammate.
“I was his shadow,” said Cody. “Whatever he did, I wanted to do it. A friendly sibling rivalry was also there.”
The two competed in athletics in wrestling, swimming, pole vaulting and cross country races.
Her passion for the Chicago Bears almost raised a flag when she met the love of her life – Green Bay Pack fan Laura. Instead, they sacrificed creative bets and headed to Lambeau Field on December 15, 2019 to watch the Packers beat the Bears.
Dylan’s absence will cause family members to pause before going to Dave Matthews and country music concerts, Sox games, hunting and fishing.
Dylan’s pickup truck and chocolate lab Marvel will remind you of a life they all share.
In the first weeks of December, Dylan’s son will be born into this world. Laura Nye Cunningham and Dylan named her William Thomas Cunningham.
Loving son of Rosemary (née Dempsey) and Patrick Eugene Cunningham. The loving brother of Melissa (Brad) Nance, Brad (Katie) Cunningham, Shannon (Brent) Graeser, Courtney Cunningham and Cody Cunningham. The beloved fiancee of Laura Nye Cunningham. Devoted uncle of many nephews, nieces and nephews to many uncles and aunts and cousins. Dylan was a South Dutch Firefighter, United States National Guard Member, “Hero” to father, friends, and many others. He was loved and will be missed by everyone who knows and loves him.
Visiting with family and friends on Tuesday, October 6, 2020 from 13:00 to 20:00 Smits Funeral Home, 2121 Pleasant Springs Lane, Dyer, IN at 19:00 with the Fire Service
The funeral will be held on Wednesday, October 7, 2020 at 11:00. At the Smits Funeral Home in Dyer, South Holland Fire Brigade Priest Priest Daniel Svendsen is chaired.