Longtime collision repair industry personality Glen Funk passed away on July 29, 2009 from an unknown disease he had battled for two years. He had been to specialists at the Mayo Clinic, the Cleveland Clinic and the University of California at San Francisco, but medical professionals could not determine what caused his continued nerve deterioration, or how it should be treated.
Funk was an employee of Motor Information Systems for over 20 years and a longtime participant of the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) and the National Auto Body Council (NABC).
“He was an extraordinary human being,” said NABC Executive Director Chuck Sulkala. “Glen had a fun-loving nature and a great sense of humor that he combined with a compassion for those less fortunate and an unyielding sense of purpose to help.”
Funk’s spirit of giving was never more evident than in his relationship with Camp Mak-A-Dream, a recreational camp for children undergoing active cancer treatment.
“It moved him like no other place moved him, going back to the first time he performed volunteer work there with his grandson,” said Sulkala. “It wasn’t unusual for tears to well up in his eyes as he recalled a profound experience he had witnessed at the camp. Those tears very often proved contagious.”
Funk became an active advocate for Camp Mak-A-Dream. When the camp needed a new bus to transport campers, his passionate appeals to the NABC board and his refusal to accept the status quo helped ensure that a new bus would be bought.
The continued success of the camp has resulted in the need for a second bus, and Funk’s legacy will once again help drive the purchase. After discussions among his son-in-law, Kerry Hughes, Collision Industry Foundation Chairman Jeanne Silver, Sulkala and Camp Mak-A-Dream leadership, it was decided to secure another bus in Funk’s name through the Collision Industry Foundation (CIF). Those wishing to help with the purchase of the second bus may also do so in the memory of someone special in their own lives.
“Glen lived completely and he loved completely, too,” Sulkala said. “His giving spirit will live on not only in his contributions to Camp Mak-A-Dream, but in the memories and good will cherished by those who knew him.”
The family requests that all donations for the vehicle be sent to:
Collision Industry Foundation
P.O. Box 3007
Mechanicsville, VA 23116
Donations can also be made at www.collisionindustryfoundation.org. Those wishing to leave a personal message to the family can do so at www.chiles-lamanfh.com.
Camp Mak-A-Dream’s core belief is that “one week can change a lifetime.” Its mission, in pursuit of that conviction, is “to provide a medically supervised, cost-free Montana experience, in an intimate community setting, for children, young adults and families affected by cancer.” To learn more about the camp, visit www.campdream.org.
