Marie Funk died peacefully at home on March 14th. She was the wife of 46 years of the late John Funk. Marie was born December 11, 1925 in Ridgewood, NY, the first of seven children for Marie and Louis Hundt. Needless to say, there wasn’t a lot to go around, but she would often fondly reminisce about their special treat of penny candy from the corner store (after begging momma repeatedly). And then there was the monkey that was a regular at the local pub - he could be seen from their kitchen window. She loved telling these and many other stories, and would have published them in her memoir Growing up Poor but Proper. Marie excelled academically at St. Aloysius, receiving honors in Latin, Math, and German. She had a bit of an advantage in German because she picked it up from her parents having “secret” conversations at home. She also dabbled in stenography and braille. After high school, Marie started working at Brooklyn Savings Bank as a secretary. She worked there until she married John in 1950. They purchased their first home in Springfield Gardens, but moved to Merrick in 1954 when Decker Ave. was still a dirt road. Marie became an avid volunteer at the newly established Sacred Heart Church. After a few years of being a doting aunt, she was blessed with her first child, Michael, in 1957. By the time Matthew was born in 1963 she was already a full-fledged homemaker. She managed the household until the nest was empty in 1985, and then it was time to start her 2nd career at the North Merrick Library.

Marie walked the 1-mile route to the library for nearly 25 years, stopping along the way to chat with friends and neighbors. She continued at the library until she was 91 - by then, a ride home from a friendly patron could expunge an overdue book fee. A dedicated reader and letter writer, Marie rarely missed a birthday or special occasion with a handwritten letter to her family and friends. She loved being a mother, grandmother, godmother, and aunt. She is survived by her sisters Anne (Hundt) Dannenhoffer and Tess (Hundt) Voegler, and predeceased by her sister Emma (Hundt) Roedel and her brothers Louis Hundt, George Hundt, and John Hundt. She is survived by her adult children and their spouses, Michael and Karen Funk, Merrick; Matthew and Lynn Funk, Southbury, CT, and her cherished grandchildren Lauren and John.