William "Billy" Cunningham III, born on May 31, 1983, passed away peacefully at home in Gloucester, with his family by his side, on September 29, 2026, following a courageous, terminal battle with pancreatic cancer. He leaves behind his parents, William and Grace Cunningham; his brother, Brian Cunningham; and the love of his life and fiancé, Zeena, whom he lovingly referred to as his wife, and their fur babies, Harry, Marv and Lele.
Billy enjoyed playing golf, hockey, fishing and being on the water. He graduated from Gloucester High School class of 2001, where he played for the Fishermen hockey and golf teams.
He commercial fished with his father for several years on the F/V Fair Wind. He later realized his dreams when he moved to Maine with Zeena, and they cultivated a flourishing cannabis business from the ground up before his illness made it impossible to continue. They returned home to Gloucester and he remained at his childhood home surrounded by his loving family until the end.
He also leaves behind his aunts and uncles: Paul and Mary Ann Genovese, Joanne and Frank Scianimanico, Marc and Melissa Cunningham, Jodi, Tracy, Marci and Krista (TT) Cunningham, and Peter Marshall; as well as his cousins Sean, Nolan, Brett and Phylis Cunningham, Lily Marshall, Andrew Favazza and his fiancé Halsi, Jeremy Favazza and his wife Ashley, and Paul Genovese III.
He was predeceased by his grandparents, Paul and Catherine (Parisi) Genovese, and William and Susan (Gillie) Cunningham, and his beloved dog Reggie.
His funeral Mass will be celebrated at Our Lady of Good Voyage Church in Gloucester on Thursday, October 8, 2026 at 10:00 AM, followed by burial at Calvary Cemetery.
Billy’s family would like to express their sincere appreciation to all that have contributed and comforted their family since his diagnosis.
Billy will forever be loved and deeply missed by all who knew him.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made directly to the family to help as they navigate through the difficult days ahead.