Fifty years ago, Jack Cunningham, a pilot in the US Marine Corps, was a crew member of the presidential helicopter Marine One that ferried Lyndon B. Johnson and his staff to their destinations.

Cunningham’s years as a Marine pilot and, later, as a captain in the American Airlines fleet, took him all around the world. But this year, his hometown called, and he agreed to double duty in Dorchester: He’ll be the featured speaker at next Monday’s Memorial Day observances in Cedar Grove Cemetery (10 a.m.) and on Sun., June 5, he will serve as chief marshal for the Dorchester Day parade.

The walls of his home are decorated with family and childhood photos, military badges and certificates, and medals from the various marathons in which he has participated. Cunningham, who grew up during World War II, remembers that as a child he always wanted to fly planes. “See-ing movies of pilots excited me,” he said. “My goal was always to be-come a pilot.”

After attending Mission High School, he enrolled at the former Boston State College, which merged with UMass Boston in the early 1980s. Cunningham also enlisted in the Marine Corps Platoon Leaders Class, an officer-commissioning program at the college. As a Marine officer, he completed flight training in fixed-wing aircrafts and helicopters at the Navy Flight School in Pensacola, Fla.

“We would get airplanes and fly them and give our opinion on them,” he said. He did that for 39 years. “I had to retire at age 60 because that was the rule, but now you don’t have to retire until age 65,” he added.

Eventually, though, he settled in Dorchester with his wife, Ann Walsh. He has four children with Ann and four grandchildren.

Today, Cunningham and his wife, Ann Walsh, parents of four and grandparents of four, are settled in Dorchester where they are is involved local military and neighborhood groups, including the Ashmont Adams Neighborhood Association. He also mentioned his ad-ditional roles as said he is “head maintenance man around the house” and “head gardener” outside.

An active runner for most of his life, Cunningham is a member of the Dorchester Running Club who has competed in many races through the years, including the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C., in November 1983. He has also run the Boston Marathon, most recently in 1996.

Ann’s participation in marathons with him sparked a business idea: Their collection of marathon T-shirts grew as they competed in more and more runs and so began RossCommon Quilts, which they run from the cellar of their house where the shelves are stacked with materials from floor to ceiling.

“The more races you run, the more shirts you get. I decided to cut them up and use them to make quilts,” said the Marine who once es-corted LBJ on his helicopter.

Madison Mitteness is an undergraduate student in the Northeastern University School of Journalism.