Tribute

We gather today to celebrate the remarkable life of Marilyn Funk, a woman whose love, faith, and warmth touched countless lives over her 82 years. She was born on December 8, 1942, in Herbert, Saskatchewan, and is predeceased by her parents, Nelson and Amalia Priebe, and her beloved husband, Victor Funk. She is survived by her children; Stewart (Margaret), Heather (Rohan), and Jason (Heather), and her cherished grandchildren; Brad, Colton (Jessica), Madison, Jessica, Asia, Kaed, Alison, Judah, and Hunter, and her great grandchildren; Elle, Ava, and Zion.

She was the eighth of ten children to Nelson and Amalia Priebe. She held the distinction of being the first child in her family born in a hospital. Her early years were spent on the family’s grain and hay farm, where massive Clydesdales pulled the plough and hay cutter, and where the older siblings helped care for the younger ones while their parents tended to the demanding work of farming and running the household.

When Marilyn was four years old, her family moved to Abbotsford, first to Maury Road and later to Lynn Avenue.  She attended Margaret Stenerson Elementary School and Abbotsford Senior Secondary, laying the foundation for a life deeply rooted in this community.

As a young woman, Marilyn worked as a ward aide at Abbotsford Hospital alongside her dear friend Marg Lusty, and later as a bank teller at RBC. Though she had always dreamed of becoming a nurse, life took her in a different direction when she married young and quickly welcomed three children. However, her calling to care for others never left her. When her children reached high school, she pursued her passion by becoming a Nurse’s Aide at the Menno Home, where she loved caring for seniors for 17 years until her retirement. The friendships she made there remained precious to her throughout her life.

Marilyn’s love story began at a local ice cream shop, where she was out one evening with her friend Marg Lusty. Vic Funk was there with Henry Hooge, and when the girls left, the young men followed them in their car. In a playful attempt to lose their pursuers, the girls drove down a road under construction that led to a dead end. Vic later joked that they must have wanted to be caught, and he boldly jumped into their car to join them.  Their first date was at the Lynden Roller Skating Rink. They married on May 23, 1964 at Grace Church.

Together Marilyn and Vic settled on a farm where they raised their family. Marilyn embraced farm life wholeheartedly, tending to beautiful gardens, many different fruit trees in the fields, a large vegetable garden, and a big red barn with cattle and a horse.  She was an incredibly supportive and involved mother in her kids lives. She never missed a sporting event, going on road trips and tournaments, and was always the loudest person in the stands! She attended music performances, and recitals, and 4-H events, She baked goodies for their teams and for fundraisers. She had a gift for hospitality. After Sunday church services, she would often spontaneously invite families home for dinner, opening her heart and table to help build community and friendships. Her home was always filled with the aroma of fresh baking, and there was invariably something delicious waiting for anyone who visited.

Faith and family were the cornerstones of Marilyn’s life.  From her youth, she was deeply involved in church activities—singing in the choir, participating in youth group,and later running Children’s and Youth Sunday School programs and Pioneer Girls. She sang in a women’s quartet, helped direct Sunday School performances and children’s choir musicals, throwing herself wholeheartedly into whatever she undertook.

When Vic passed away suddenly on July 31, 2003, Marilyn faced her greatest challenge. Though devastated by the loss, she chose to continue living fully, pouring her love into her children and grandchildren. A year later, she moved from the farm to a condo in town. She became even more involved in her children’s lives; often having the grandchildren for sleepovers, where they would watch movies and swim in the pool together. She would lovingly spoil them with their favorite foods. Before moving to Assisted Living at Menno Place in May 2024, she organized one final pool party with all her grandchildren—a perfect example of how she always put family first.

After Vic’s passing, Marilyn found a new church home at Heritage Alliance, where she served in the kitchen, attended ladies’ Bible study, and joined the singles group they affectionately called “The Crazy Ladies”.  These women became like a second family to her, providing friendship, laughter, and support.

In 2020, Marilyn’s health began to decline when she was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver due to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. It gradually weakened her and made her frail and dependent on others; something particularly difficult for someone who had always been fiercely independent and the one caring for everyone else. Yet even in the face of this challenge, Marilyn never became bitter or angry. She continued to fight with grace and determination, undergoing treatments to manage her condition and cherishing every precious moment with family and friends.

On June 3, 2025, Marilyn passed peacefully into the arms of Jesus at Holmberg House Hospice, finally arriving at her heavenly home.  Marilyn’s legacy lives on in the love she shared, the faith she demonstrated, the community she built, and the countless lives she touched through her caring spirit. As she would have said, God and family were number one in her life—and her life was a beautiful testament to both.

She will be forever in our hearts.