David Cundiff

David Cundiff passed away on July 22nd from complications associated with Alzheimers disease. David was born and raised in Hardin County near Elizabethtown, Kentucky. He was the youngest of 10 children and went to Union University in Jackson, Tennessee, where he played basketball, baseball, and ran track. He met his wife, Linda, there and after graduating, attended graduate school and received his Master's and Doctorate degrees from the University of Illinois.

David taught at several schools in the field of exercise science, including Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma; Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi; Campbellsville University in Kentucky, and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

David also shared his expertise through several Professional Organizations like AAPHERD and Association for Fitness in Business of which he was a founding member. David traveled to China, Venezuela, and Peru as a Visiting Professor, instructing at other academic institutions, attending and presenting at professional conferences.

David ran 26 marathons and competed in numerous triathlons over the years, running the Boston Marathon twice and competing in an Ironman qualifier. He authored 3 books on exercise physiology and was published in several magazines and journals.

David was an avid golfer, taking many trips with Linda in retirement to play and spending 4-5 days a week playing at Timberline Golf Club, where they lived when they moved to Birmingham in 2006.

David was a lifelong University of Kentucky sports fan and a Boston Red Sox fan. The TV was typically tuned to sports at the Cundiff house (Although MASH and Cheers were favorite old sitcoms).

David and Linda were members at First Baptist Columbiana when they lived in Calera, and joined Canaan Baptist Church when they moved closer to town in 2020. David served as a deacon for a number of their churches over the years. David was a faithful member of the choir at the churches he attended; he loved music and was a very proficient whistler. David also had the blessing of seeing all of his children and grandchildren profess their faith in Jesus Christ, an everlasting blessing and eternal impact of his character.

David is survived by his wife of 63 years, Linda (Baltzell) Cundiff; a brother, James Henry, in Elizabethtown, Kentucky; sons Brad (Kristen) in Canton, Georgia and Drew (Julie) in Birmingham, Alabama. David has 4 grandchildren: Cameron, Reaghan, Linden, and Philip. One of his favorite hobbies in retirement was attending sports, dance, and graduation events for them. Many friends will remember him not straying too far away from Linda in their last few years.

A memorial service will be held on Monday, July 29 at 1:00, with visitation starting at noon, at Currie Jefferson Funeral Home on John Hawkins Parkway in Hoover, Alabama. David will be interred at a family plot in Kentucky.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to Gideons International in David's memory.