Plainfield community gathers to remember slain North teacher

PLAINFIELD – Students at Plainfield North High School passed out copies of "Trip's Tips" before the vigil began Wednesday night.

Sue Cunningham had written the points of advice when she was known as "Ms. Triplett" to her health and physical education students and remained "Trip" to her colleagues.

The list of tips includes such words of wisdom as: "Your attitude each day is your choice," "find something you like to do and work hard" and "only you can change your life."

"She was really interested in making sure her students would lead a healthy life," her best friend, Elly Stonis, said. "And one of the tips was 'Don't keep unhealthy relationships,' which is, unfortunately, what she had."

Sue Cunningham was slain in her home Tuesday night by her husband, Craig Cunningham, who then killed himself by walking into traffic on Interstate 55, police said.

Plainfield Police Chief John Konopek said a neighbor asked police to do a welfare check at 8:07 p.m. after Sue Cunningham, 47, came home to the 25000 block of Prairie Grove Court and Craig Cunningham, 46, left a short time later. No one else was home at the time, but her son, Nick, 14, and daughter, Taylor, 8, lived there.

Officers found Sue Cunningham had suffered multiple stab wounds, Konopek said. She was taken to Rush Copley Hospital in Aurora, where she later was pronounced dead.

Craig Cunningham called a relative after leaving the house.

"He admitted to killing his wife and said he didn't want to go to jail and was going to kill himself," Konopek said.

At 8:18 p.m., Craig Cunningham walked into northbound traffic near mile marker 263 just north of Route 126 and was struck by two vehicles, according to state police. Law enforcement recovered a knife from his car that is believed to be the murder weapon, Konopek said.

Craig Cunningham was taken to Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital and pronounced dead at 10:06 p.m., according to the Will County Coroner's Office.

Sue Cunningham taught at Plainfield Central from 2002 to 2006 before transferring to Plainfield North, but she had been on medical leave for this semester after being diagnosed with Stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

"She was more upset that she couldn't work with the kids than she was about being sick," her friend, Melanie Leung, said.

Sue Cunningham was given a clean bill of health two weeks ago after three chemotherapy sessions, Stonis said.

Sue Cunningham grew up in Naperville and worked for the Red Cross before becoming a teacher. Superintendent Lane Abrell hired her for the district when he was principal of Plainfield Central.

"Sue [was] a valued member of the staff, great with kids and a very positive person. All District 202 employees mourn Sue’s passing," Abrell said in a statement from the district.

Sue Cunningham was member of Community Christian Church in Plainfield.

Several hundred students and friends attended a vigil for Sue Cunningham on Wednesday evening in front of Plainfield North High School.

"[You're here] because she touched your life in some way, shape or form, but you touched her life, too," her brother, Dan Brown, said.

Stonis said her friend was a great teacher because she worked to make a connection with every student.

"She was able to bring herself down to a level the kids could understand. She'd remember their name and she'd remember special things about them," she said.

Konopek said police had received no previous calls for service from the Cunningham residence. Sue and Craig Cunningham married in July 2014.

"Based on interviews we've conducted, we learned there were marital problems, but we don't know what specifically triggered this confrontation," Konopek said.