Obituary of Eva R Funke

Eva R. Funke, 99, passed away in her sleep at her daughter and son-in-law’s home in Belfast, Maine on June 5, 2013. She was born in New Augusta, Mississippi on October 2, 1913. She grew up during the depression and worked to put herself through college to become an elementary school teacher. She said that as soon as she realized there were places besides Mississippi, she set out to see the world. She taught school in Minnesota, Idaho, and Oregon. She married George J. Funke, a county extension agent and wheat farmer, and when an opportunity to travel with the State Department arose, Eva, an adventurous spirit, talked George into joining the U.S. Agency for International Development. Together, they lived in Cali, Columbia; Monrovia, Liberia; Zaria, Nigeria; Nairobi, Kenya; and Pakse and Luang Prabang, Laos before George retired to Santee, SC. After George died in 1977, she moved to Green Valley, AZ; Crossville, TN; Fairhope, AL, and finally to Belfast, ME. Her greatest passion was golf, and she was a two-time Senior Olympics Champion in the 80-84 age division. While in Nairobi, she was the first American woman to win the club championship at the Muthaiga Golf Club, one of her very favorite courses. She loved walking both on the fairways and in the forests and hills and mountains. At 66, she hiked the Milford Track to the stunning sound in New Zealand, and in her 70s, she hiked the Grand Canyon. An avid and serious bridge player, she taught many people to play bridge and enjoyed the lively bridge games at the Nix Center in Fairhope. Her friends will remember her for her upbeat, positive attitude, her optimism, and her willingness to laugh, especially with her dear, dear friend, Rosemary Juif. Her family will remember her courage, strength, and determination; her adaptability to new situations; her love of healthy food; and the pleasure she took in a cup of really good, hot coffee. Her daughter will miss the pleasant, easy companionship of the many cups of morning coffee they shared on various porches and balconies. Eva loved her years in her sunny cottage at The Hamlet in Fairhope, where a fine community of caring friends provided a good support network for each other. She especially enjoyed the company of her devoted nieces, Sue Franks and Linda Sealy, who often visited her and entertained her in their homes during holidays. She was predeceased by her husband, George J. Funke; her stepson, Thomas G. Funke; and her daughter, Elizabeth White Funke. She is survived by her stepson, David J. Funke and his wife, Judy Funke and three granddaughters and by her daughter, Sally F. Lawrence and her husband, David P. Lawrence and two granddaughters and their husbands and four great grandchildren. A devout Episcopalian, she loved the chapel at St. James in Fairhope, and a memorial service will be held there at a later date. A private service was held in Belfast on Sunday, June 9, 2013.