Walter Funk was born on August 28, 1930 in a small town in Germany. From a young age, he juggled school and his responsibilities on the small plots of farmland his family worked. Despite the challenges of these humble beginnings, thanks to his natural curiosity and intelligence,
Walter did well in school and went on to secure an apprenticeship maintaining the machinery at Daimler-Benz, now Mercedes Benz, where he remained until he emigrated to the United States at the age of 24. Always a hardworking and dependable team player, Walter quickly
became an admired colleague at Griess and later Harper, the two factories where he worked installing and maintaining machinery from the mid-1950s into the early 1960s. In the late sixties, Walter took a few private carpentry jobs, and a friend invited him to work part time with his contracting business. This moment marked an important transition in Walter's professional life: his wide range of experience and his work ethic made him stand out right away. Before long, he had developed a stellar reputation for his fine carpentry work and had branched out on his own, doing construction and restoration work on everything from small family homes and businesses to grand estates around Connecticut and Westchester. He was especially proud of the time he was hired by a bakery to make a few surface upgrades; he noticed inefficiencies in the layout of the kitchen and helped the owner redesign the entire work area and storage. Just by thinking about how the bakers needed to move through the space, Walter helped substantially increase the bakery's production. Walter showed the same dedication and care when it came to providing for his wife, Ingeborg, and daughter, Heide. Whether in the suburbs of New York City or in Seminole, where Walter and Ingeborg moved when he retired in 1983, the family was always surrounded by a loving community who filled the house with joy—especially at the couple's legendary parties, where Walter's famous cakes stole the show. Walter loved baking, bowling, gardening, playing cards with his friends, and staying connected to his roots in Germany. He also loved helping neighbors with any projects they might be working on. Though he was technically retired, he kept his mint green contractor's van loaded with tools, just in case; even after he turned 85, he
was always ready and willing to share his vast knowledge whenever he was asked. Everyone knew it: Walter could fix anything. And he would, with a smile. Walter remained independent until the very end, just as he had wished, and died in his home on September 24, 2023. He is survived by Heide, his granddaughter Heather and her partner Diego, as well as by many friends and relatives whose lives he continues to touch. He joins his beloved Ingeborg, who passed away in 2010.