John B. Funk
John B. Funk | |
|---|---|
| Secretary of State of Maryland | |
| In office 1947 | |
| Preceded by | Edward G. Chaney |
| Succeeded by | Bertram Lee Boone II |
| Member of the Maryland Senate from the Frederick County district | |
| In office 1939–1947 | |
| Preceded by | Harry W. LeGore |
| Succeeded by | Edward D. Storm |
| Member of the Maryland House of Delegates from the Frederick County district | |
| In office 1935–1938 Serving with A. Lamar Barrick, George E. Castle, Joseph B. Payne, Jacob R. Ramsburg, Charles S. Houck Jr. | |
| Preceded by | Casper E. Cline Jr., Anderson H. Etzler, D. Charles Flook, Harry W. LeGore, John D. Nicodemus |
| Succeeded by | Robert E. Clapp Jr., Donald J. Gardner, Charles S. Houck Jr., Jacob R. Ramsburg, Howard B. Smith |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Benjamin Funk April 20, 1905 Hillsborough, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | March 16, 1993 (aged 87) Hanover, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Resting place | Mount Olivet Cemetery Frederick, Maryland, U.S. |
| Spouse(s) |
Doris Dindore
(m. 1927; died 1953)Evelyn Robinson (m. 1953) |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | Washington and Lee University (BS) |
| Occupation |
|
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
[edit]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
[edit]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
[edit]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
[edit]- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b c d e "A Growing Problem". The Evening Sun. November 22, 1957. p. 29. Retrieved October 29, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Historical List, House of Delegates, Frederick County (1790-1974)". Maryland Manual On-Line. Maryland State Archives. March 20, 2024. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
- ^ "Historical List, Senate, Frederick County (1838-1966)". Maryland Manual On-Line. Maryland State Archives. April 20, 2005. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
- ^ "Funk, John". The Baltimore Sun. March 18, 1993. p. 13B. Retrieved October 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- 1905 births
- 1993 deaths
- People from Loudoun County, Virginia
- People from Brunswick, Maryland
- People from Lutherville, Maryland
- Washington and Lee University alumni
- Engineers from Virginia
- Engineers from Maryland
- Democratic Party members of the Maryland House of Delegates
- Democratic Party Maryland state senators
- Secretaries of state of Maryland
- Burials at Mount Olivet Cemetery (Frederick, Maryland)
- 20th-century American legislators
- 20th-century Maryland politicians