Kelly Elizabeth Funk

She attended St. Luke Grade School and was involved in CYO sports, namely volleyball and basketball. Additionally, she was a Brownie Scout. During grade school she studied ballet at the Jordan School of Dance at Butler University. Later, she studied piano and flute at the Butler School of Arts.

Kelly graduated with honors from Bishop Chatard High School. She was a member of both the swim and soccer teams. She was on the first Women’s soccer team of the school. During her high school years, she was selected as a delegate to the National Leadership Conference held in Washington, D.C., between her junior and senior years. She also participated in the school production of Little Orphan Annie.

Kelly enrolled at Loyola University in Chicago to begin her college career. Following her first year, she elected to return to Indianapolis to attend IU-PUI. The only request was that she could live in an apartment on the canal in downtown Indianapolis where she lived for three years while a student. Kelly was on the Dean’s List for academics in the Sociology Department and graduated with honors from Indiana University. During her school years, she worked as a volunteer at the Indiana Girls School working with young women, helping to consider different choices in their life.

During a family holiday trip to St. Thomas, USVI, Kelly found her first dream job. She moved to the island and worked as a first mate on a boat doing day snorkel trips. She taught guests snorkeling and assisted in operating the boat. After about 15 months, island life was wearing on her and she returned to Indianapolis.

Upon returning, she worked in a law firm handling filings, and later worked at Crossroad Services. She met John Ferree and in 2007, and they were married in Danville, Indiana. Kelly and John were organic farmers and sold their product at a number of farmers markets and to local restaurants. Kelly had found her second dream job. They were selected by the local “Slow Food” organization to attend an international meeting in Italy in 2008.

On July 10, 2010, while working in one of their fields, Kelly was struck by lightning and was totally incapacitated as a result. Following the injury, Kelly resided in several assisted living facilities, lastly Carmel Health and Living Community.

Kelly is survived by her parents, James W., and Janis Funk of Indianapolis, her daughter Senka Ferree, and brother Christopher (Molly) Funk.

A memorial service will be held on June 24, 2023 in the Leppert Mortuary, Nora Chapel at 2:00 P.M. with friends gathering for visitation at 1:00 PM. The services will be live streamed and available on the website.

You are invited to visit the website www.leppertmortuary.com to share a personal memory of Kelly. You may also arrange a memorial contribution to Gibault Children’s Service, 6401 US Highway 41 South, Terre Haute, Indiana 47802, in Kelly’s name, or, you may consider a contribution to your local food bank as a memorial to Kelly, in lieu of flowers.