James "Jim" Doyle Funderburg

Living in a family of ten children - James was a strong, proud, loving gentleman who never met a stranger. As he traveled the world during his twenty-seven year Army career he served in the Second World War, Korea and Vietnam unaccompanied tours- then the rest of his assignments involved his spouse and later his only child, a daughter. After the Second World War he married his high school sweetheart Marcia Tucker. She was a great support and firm believer that Jim had the rank not her. She was a great Army wife and traveler. He was asked during his third tour to Germany not to try to learn to speak German any longer- his Oklahoma accent wasn’t allowing the proper pronunciation of the German words and the folks he needed to speak to knew English anyway!

All throughout his career he attended the University of Maryland to earn his college degree. Assigned to OKC National Guard active duty Army liaison in 1964-66, he tried to get more hours on his degree at Central State University. Then he was sent to Vietnam where his older brother O.C. was sent by the Air Force to the northern part of the country, making two of their mother’s sons in war – during WWII there were five Funderburg’s at war. On retirement from the Army he settled in Norman, OK to complete his bachelor’s degree in business at the University of Oklahoma. He sat next to Vietnam War protestors and learned that folks with long hair and torn jeans had good brains and he learned a respect of others knowing he fought for their right to express their voice and opinion.

He assisted as a communications link of the class of 1943 from Wilburton High School when he moved to Oklahoma and stayed in touch with his classmates until this last year when his health began to fail. He and Marcia attended the Tinker Air Force Base Chapel Protestant service beginning in 1972 where he served as an usher with five other men who retired the same year.

His love of the out of doors had him creating gardens wherever he lived- he had a green thumb and loved to grow carnations across from the General’s quarters at Fort Monmouth, NJ; radishes in the flower gardens outside his apartment in Ludwigsburg, Germany; and lots of vegetables for friends and neighbors in MWC, OK. His good neighbor and friend of the family Lynda Strahorn would allow him to assist in creating her vegetable garden in exchange for meat loaf, beans and cornbread, and his own lawn mowing this last year. His pride was having no weeds in his lawn.

Jim was a great father, grandfather, friend, and mentor to many people. He encouraged his daughter to pursue her dreams supporting her nursing education and then seminary. There were nieces and nephews he encouraged through the years as well as being a cheerleader for his brothers and their wives. He attributes the VA Health system in OKC as keeping his health great- not fully embracing that perhaps his tee-totaling, never smoking, eating to live and not living to eat lifestyle may have been the reason he could live to ninety-five. He served on the Communications Federal Credit Union for over forty years and absolutely loved the interaction of question and answers during investment and new branch openings.

He always remembered from whence he came- he took an Oklahoma governor to see his mother and father in their little house in Wilburton, OK so very proud of his family. He was the only child of ten who had their father’s job listed on his birth certificate as “coal miner” so his father could receive the Black Lung benefit he needed. His father died at 93.

This faithful man honored others’ beliefs, knew and encouraged diversity, respected all people and reared a daughter who took on the same ideals and certainly his powerful work ethic. He is leaving behind his younger brothers - Jack Funderburg and his wife Betty, Stanley Funderburg, his sister Jean and her husband Kenneth Majors - and many nieces and nephews and more. He leaves behind his daughter The Rev. Lin Stern, as well as former son-in-law, David Stern. Most dear to his heart were his adult grandchildren- Sylvia and Teddy Crum, Bernie Stern, and Carl Stern. He was blessed to meet and greet his great-grandchildren - Lily Crum and Charlie Crum.

As he read the Daily Oklahoman from cover to cover his whole time in Oklahoma - this tribute to this find man is written by The Rev. Lin Stern - his daughter and certainly one who holds him as a hero and role model for his faith and love of God and neighbor. In lieu of flowers the invitation is to contribute to the Komen Breast Cancer Foundation or the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.