John B. Funk

John B. Funk
Secretary of State of Maryland
In office
1947
Preceded byEdward G. Chaney
Succeeded byBertram Lee Boone II
Member of the Maryland Senate
from the Frederick County district
In office
1939–1947
Preceded byHarry W. LeGore
Succeeded byEdward D. Storm
Member of the Maryland House of Delegates
from the Frederick County district
In office
1935–1938
Preceded byCasper E. Cline Jr., Anderson H. Etzler, D. Charles Flook, Harry W. LeGore, John D. Nicodemus
Succeeded byRobert E. Clapp Jr., Donald J. Gardner, Charles S. Houck Jr., Jacob R. Ramsburg, Howard B. Smith
Personal details
Born
John Benjamin Funk

(1905-04-20)April 20, 1905
Hillsborough, Virginia, U.S.
DiedMarch 16, 1993(1993-03-16) (aged 87)
Hanover, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Resting placeMount Olivet Cemetery
Frederick, Maryland, U.S.
Spouse(s)
Doris Dindore
​
​
(m. 1927; died 1953)​

Evelyn Robinson
​
(m. 1953)​
Children2
Alma materWashington and Lee University (BS)
Occupation
  • Politician
  • engineer

John Benjamin Funk (April 20, 1905 – March 16, 1993) was an American politician from Maryland. He served in the Maryland House of Delegates, Maryland Senate and as the secretary of state of Maryland. He was known for his chairmanship of the Maryland State Roads Commission and oversaw the construction of the Baltimore Beltway and the opening of Interstate 95.

Early life

John Benjamin Funk was born on April 20, 1905, in Hillsborough, Virginia, to Harry B. Funk.[1][2][3] His father was a homebuilder. He graduated from Brunswick High School in Brunswick, Maryland, in 1922. He played trombone and played for the Potomac Club Orchestra. He graduated from Washington and Lee University with a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering. He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.[1][2][3]

Career

After graduating, Funk worked for the American Bridge Company in Frederick. He then worked as a city engineer in Brunswick from 1929 to 1984.[1] He was appointed as Maryland's chief engineer. From 1950 to 1958, he was chief engineer in Baltimore County.[1][2][3]

Funk was a Democrat. He served as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates, representing Frederick County from 1935 to 1938.[1][4] He then served as a member of the Maryland Senate from 1939 to 1947.[1][5] He was chair of the Senate Finance Committee. He was Democratic floor leader from 1944 to 1946.[2][3] In 1947, Governor William Preston Lane named Funk as secretary of state of Maryland.[1][2]

Under Governor J. Millard Tawes he was appointed chairman of the Maryland State Roads Commission. From 1959 to 1966, under Tawes, he oversaw the construction of the Baltimore Beltway and the opening of Interstate 95.[1] He retired in 1967 and then worked as an engineering consultant for several years.[1][2]

Funk was a co-founder of the Brunswick History Commission.[1]

Personal life

Funk married Doris Dindore in 1927. They had three sons, John Demory, Harry Bruce and William B. She died in 1953. He later married Evelyn Robinson in 1953.[1][2] He was Methodist.[2] In 1957, he lived in Shetland Hills in Lutherville.[3]

Funk died of heart disease on March 16, 1993, aged 87, at Hanover General Hospital in Hanover, Pennsylvania.[1][2] He was buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Frederick.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Beltway Builder John B. Funk, 87". The Baltimore Sun. March 18, 1993. p. 13B. Retrieved October 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "John B. Funk (1905-1993)". Maryland Manual On-Line. Maryland State Archives. June 25, 2002. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e "A Growing Problem". The Evening Sun. November 22, 1957. p. 29. Retrieved October 29, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  4. ^ "Historical List, House of Delegates, Frederick County (1790-1974)". Maryland Manual On-Line. Maryland State Archives. March 20, 2024. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  5. ^ "Historical List, Senate, Frederick County (1838-1966)". Maryland Manual On-Line. Maryland State Archives. April 20, 2005. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  6. ^ "Funk, John". The Baltimore Sun. March 18, 1993. p. 13B. Retrieved October 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon