William (Bill) Joseph Funk

William Joseph (Bill) Funk was born on December 26, 1933; he died on August 28, 2022. Born in Charleston, West Virginia to Sherwood and Athleene (Edwards) Funk, Bill spent his elementary school years in the public schools of Kentucky in cities such as Catlettsburg, Russell, Ashland and Louisa. Bill was an accomplished organist and pianist and earned money playing for weddings and funerals in the various Methodist Churches in which his father served. He went to high school in Covington Kentucky graduating in 1952 from Holmes High School. Subsequently he attended Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas where he played the clarinet in the Mustang Marching Band and with the University’s Symphony Orchestra. Following college Bill spent the next 13 years serving as a Methodist educational missionary in various areas of Borneo. He received a Masters in Education from Harvard University and he also studied Chinese at Yale University. Later he received a Masters in Educational Leadership from Georgia State University. Bill and his family moved to Decatur, Georgia in 1971. Bill taught history at Decatur High School, served as assistant Principal and then as Principal. He retired in 1998 after 27 years at Decatur High School. Bill traveled the world for most of his adult life and was a sought-after tour guide by large and small groups. Following retirement he spent 15 years volunteering in the Human Rights Division of the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library. He was a member of the Decatur Rotary Club and First Decatur United Methodist Church. He was a founding Board member of the Decatur Education Foundation where friends and family funded the Bill Funk Fund for providing high school students with international experiences. Bill moved to Missoula, Montana in 2018. Bill is survived by his wife Gayle Gellerstedt; his daughters Wendi Funk, Melanie Funk, Lisa Nied and Christie Funk along with his grandchildren Hunter Futch, Lindsay Futch, Aja Grooms, Noa Grooms and Mia Grooms. His family members were the light of his life and brought him great joy. Bill was preceded in death by his parents and by his sister Sherleene Funk Sissell. Bill’s ashes will be interred in Decatur Cemetery at a later date. A more complete obituary will be published in the Atlanta Journal Constitution soon. Bill requested that memorial gifts be made to Georgia Options, the organization providing support to his daughter Wendi. Gifts can be mailed to: Georgia Options, Inc. ; 1494 Prince Avenue; Athens, Georgia 30606 or on line at: https://georgiaoptions. org/donate.