Margaret Lee Harlan Funk, after 77 years of wonder, curiosity, struggle and love, passed away peacefully on July 14, 2018, in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. Margie was born on April 25, 1941, in Lafayette, Indiana to Charles C. and Denelda L. (Lorene) Harlan.  Margie and her brother Chuck grew up in the small town of Kentland, situated in northwestern Indiana where her father ran several profitable grain elevators.  Margie was very close to her maternal grandparents, Ora Lee and LuLu Belle Nicely, who lived in Goodland, Indiana. Lorene later remarried Howard "Papa" Henry, a carpenter, who built great toys for his grandchildren.

Margie attended Kentland High School, where she had many good friends.  Exceptional for her time, she saved enough money working summer jobs to attend Indiana University. Her studies, however, were interrupted by romance, and she married her high school sweetheart, Robert ("Bob") William Funk, on February 16, 1963.

After her marriage to Bob, they moved to Savannah, Georgia where the first of their four children was born, Robert William II, in 1965. Margie and Bob then moved to southern Wisconsin where Christopher Charles (1966) and Maria Margaret (1967) joined the growing Funk clan.  Margie's love of literature proved a great benefit to her children. She spent hours reading to them and having them read to her, and was an early champion of pre-school education. Her children are all great lovers of reading today, as are her grandchildren.

In 1975, Margie and Bob returned to Kentland and two years later Margie gave birth to son Michael Antonio (1976). As they grew up, Margie's children were surrounded by a bevy of grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins. The children, like their parents, had the great fortune to make many life-long friends during their time in Kentland. While in Kentland, Margie was also able to successfully  complete her undergraduate degree and received her B.A. from St. Joseph College in Rensselaer.

In 1981, Margie moved to Santa Barbara, California with her children.  As they grew older, Margie focused on her career, first in human resources and later as a financial consultant. After retirement, Margie spent her final years in beautiful Santa Barbara at Villa Caridad, nestled between the mountains and sea, and surrounded by friends, family and her beloved garden.  She was happy and at peace.

Margie loved life, nature, reading, talking, thinking and friendship. She was a great mother and friend. She loved her grandchildren fiercely, and saw that love returned. She was a beautiful person, who loved the beauty of the world. She loved the true, the mysterious, and the truly mysterious. She is survived by four children: Robert William II Funk (Sue), Christopher Charles Funk (Sabina). Maria Margaret Funk Reine (Gregg), and Michael Antonio Funk (Donna). Her five grandchildren also remember her with great love: Robert William III, Emma Rose, Amelie, Theo, Alexander.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Oxfam America , 226 Causeway Street, 5th Floor, Boston, MA 02114-2206.