Dr. Presley Clyde Funk III
Dr. Presley Clyde Funk III, 92, recently of Dallas and Frisco, joined his beloved wife, Wanell, on Jan. 19, 2011. He said he may not know for sure about Heaven or Hell, but he was absolutely sure he was going to be with Wanell and she was, and is, the Angel in our family. We know they have gone fishing. As for the rest of us, he said, “Dying is for the living — so get on with it!”
Born April 4, 1918, in Snyder, Texas, Dr. Funk was raised in University Park and graduated from Highland Park High School in 1935. He was enrolled at SMU when Pearl Harbor was attacked and was soon accepted into the Army Air Corps. He was a bombardier/navigator on B-26 Marauders during World War II and flew three missions on D-Day. He was shot down on his 27th mission while over France in October 1944. He was a POW until April 1945, when his camp was liberated by Gen. George Patton crashing through the gates.
Dr. Funk returned home to finish his degree at SMU and enroll at Southwestern Medical School on the GI Bill. He graduated from medical school in 1950, and in 1951 joined the Launey Altick Clinic in Dallas, where he practiced until 1972. He became a staff physician at Denton State School from 1972 until 1978, when he joined the Department of Human Resources in Austin, where he remained until 1982 when he retired.
He is survived by his children and grandchildren: Margaret E. Funk; Presley Clyde Funk IV; William E. Funk; Dr. Paul L. Funk (a fourth-generation doctor), his wife, Susan, and their children Leeann and Layton Funk; Robert Theron Funk, his wife, Lindi, and their daughter, Meredith Boyer, his first wife, Cathy Purcell Funk, and their children, R.T. Funk (a fifth-generation doctor) and Justin Funk. He is also survived by his sister, Ada M. Terry, of Midland, Texas, as well as many dear nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
A graveside memorial service will be held at a later date. Please honor him with donations to Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch, P.O. Box 1980, Amarillo, Texas 79174-0001, Southwestern Medical School of Dallas or the charity of your choice.
