Richard Allan Funke – 50th Reunion Essay

Richard Allan Funke

Date of Death: 11-Nov-2013

College: Calhoun

(This memorial appeared in a Chicago Tribune Media Publication, and was reprinted on the Class Website.)

Dick Funke, dog lover, recreational pilot, do-it-yourself man (stubborn but always right), impatient driver, and despiser of anything eggplant, passed away on Monday, November 11, 2013 at the age of 66. Not for the faint of heart, Dick was a man of great passion and intensity. After attending Yale University he joined the workforce, was a First Scholar and obtained his MBA at University of Chicago. He was both practical and idealistic which was reflected in his leadership of his municipal bond company.

He was an exceptional forward thinker. His insatiable curiosity for new challenges led him to great heights and while he was often a bit of a challenge himself, he was deeply loved by all that knew him. Dick was never fully able to wrinkle his impossibly large nose, though he tried (and failed) often. Known for occasionally dancing like an Egyptian, impersonating a wide-mouthed frog, or giving out casual “pinchadoodies,” he was a man that lived and preached his own motto—“Some people get the joke and some people just don’t.” For those overcome by sadness and loss, stop right there. “Suck it up,” he would always say. Understand that there is so much life to live and Dick did a wonderful job of living it right up until the end. He never gave up, and he certainly inspired his family and friends to do the same.

If anything, Dick was always a man who pushed those he loved to be the best versions of themselves. He was the beloved son of Gene and Mabel Funke and is survived by six children who all take after him in their own ways. From his marriage to Julie Ann Carroll, he fathered four children; Court (Lisa), Jordan, Moira (Paul), and Morgan. He later went on to marry Margot Shockey and had two more children; Eugene Shockey and Mary Ellen Martha. He was Grandpa to Grace and Lilly, and Babu to Marley Asha. He was preceded in death by his beloved dog, Sophie.