(KYTX) - "He was passionate about his family and being outdoors. He was an avid cycler. And, he did stand-up paddle boarding, as you can see by his paddle boards."
Those paddle boards are the same ones Joe and his son, 21-year-old Joseph Cunningham, took to White Rock Lake in Dallas Saturday.
Joe spent countless hours with his son, helping him cope with his challenges with Autism. They loved to be on the water together.
"Out at Lake Tyler and White Rock. He coached me out at the lake." Joe said.
But Saturday's trip did not go as planned. Dallas police say a fast-moving storm rolled through that afternoon, taking the father and son by surprise, knocking them off their boards.
Joseph was able to swim to shore, but his father was not so lucky. A game warden found his body at about 7:30 Sunday morning.
Family members are shocked by the sudden tragedy.
"He was a good man, a loving husband, a beautiful father, had a huge heart. He was proud of his son. He was a family man. He loved his family and had a love for life and was just a wonderful man."
Tegmeyer says their strong family bond is what's helping them through their loss.
"I'm just very blessed that I had this opportunity and that he loved his wife and his son and we were all very, very close as a family." she said.
Donations can be made to the Joe Cunningham Memorial Fund at Southside bank in Tyler.
