[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 8 (Monday, January 12, 2026)]
[House]
[Page H648]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      REMEMBERING JOHN CUNNINGHAM

  (Mr. LATIMER asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. LATIMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in memory of the exceptional 
life of John Cunningham, a resident of Rye for nearly 60 years, who 
passed away last week at the age of 93.
  He was not only a familiar face around our community, but he was a 
familiar face on Broadway, on TV screens, and in movie theaters. John's 
acting career included roles too numerous to mention, but many are 
memorable to those anywhere in the Nation. He was the father in 
``Mystic Pizza,'' Mr. Anderson in ``Dead Poets Society,'' and the 
character Sylvester Rheinback in the Christmastime movie ``Silver 
Bells.''
  He was on the Broadway stage as Captain E.J. Smith of the ship in 
``Titanic'' and as John Adams in ``1776.''
  He had TV roles on ``30 Rock,'' ``Miami Vice,'' ``Law and Order,'' 
and ``The Good Wife,'' among many others.
  His success as an actor notwithstanding, his role in the community 
was warm and friendly to all. Despite his status as a celebrity, he was 
approachable. He used his talents to help raise funds for local 
organizations, including dramatic readings with other actors, such as 
Frances Sternhagen, a New Rochelle resident, in the well-loved 
``Players and Playwrights'' series at the Rye High School Performing 
Arts Center.
  John and his wife, Carolyn, who served as a member of the Rye City 
Council, raised three children, all Rye High School graduates, with six 
grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
  John served in the U.S. Army and achieved a master's degree from Yale 
School of Drama. He was an active congregant of Rye Presbyterian 
Church, where a memorial service will be held this weekend.
  From the floor of the House of Representatives, we salute this 
neighbor and friend who made a career in the arts and, in so doing, 
brought honor to his profession and to his home community.

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