Birth date: May 29, 1965 Death date: Oct 15, 2020
Rodney Ross Funk, 55, of Bloomington, IL passed away at 3:58 PM, Thursday, October 15, 2020 at OSF St. Joseph Medical Center in Bloomington. A Graveside Service and Interment will be held at 11:00 AM, Friday, October 23, 2020 at Read Obituary
Rod has mentored over a hundred other scientist, analyst, data managers and methods students from all over the country. He was one of the few people with the ability to see and bring data into focus, as well as to make and laugh at statistical jokes with his glorious laughter. We will all miss him greatly! Rod was A W E S O M E .
Michael Dennis
Our thoughts and prayers are with you. The Chatham/Oertwig Family
Rod was a true colleague. We worked together at Chestnut for 17 years mostly doing the same kind of work on different projects. Even though that meant we didn't often work together, we both knew we could count on the other to help answer that challenging question, brainstorm an idea, translate Mike-ese into syntax, learn a new SPSS or Excel trick, recite a few lines of Alice's Restaurant, or share a good math or stats joke. I always knew Rod would 'get it'. I have missed that unique bond since moving east. My heart goes out to both of his families--biological and Chestnut. May each take comfort in the shared memories knowing your grief is shared by many.
Rod was my mentor or data guru as I often called him. There was never a question too stupid for him to patiently answer for me. His laugh and kind heart put me at ease in the most stressful work situations. He was always there to interpret data requests for me and explain complex statistical procedures in layman's terms. Losing him is a terrible loss for all of us at Chestnut. His laugh could be heard throughout the halls of the office everyday and it made it a happier place to work. He will be profoundly missed.
Rod was a great contributor to improving health--both for the patients who benefit from his studies and for the overall population. And he approached his work with great humor and joy. What a great model for all of us. My heartfelt condolences to all of Rod's family and colleagues. Such a sad loss.
Wilson Compton
Rod was a great neighbor of mine. We shared a few meals and cook outs together with my family. We listened to old music and laughed about anything we could think of as we sat in my garage rocking chairs. I really miss him. Les Outlaw
Rod was an exceptional colleague - as a statistician and data guru, and as a lovely, kind spirit that brought a warm and jovial energy to our research meetings. I know first hand how Rod would go above and beyond to help for a paper, grant, or presentation that required quick data output or tweaking. I am grateful to have known and worked with him. He was an example for all of us to be kinder, more patient, and more giving. Prayers for peace and healing to his family.
I worked with Rod for some months while I was visiting as a research scholar from Brazil. He always made me feel welcome, telling jokes, and had the most amazing laugh. I will miss interacting with him on social media, and I can only wonder how difficult it must be to lose someone like him as part of the family. I want to send condolences to his family, who will certainly hold on to the memories of an intelligent, awesome person. Rod, the world lost a lot with your passage. Thank you, Rod, for the way you turned work into a fun, light experience.
Carla and Melissa, So sorry to hear of your family's loss of Rodney. He was often at the center of the family reunions water balloon throwing activities. He was the adult who got the other adults involved in his antics, and usually ended up soaking wet while he stayed nice and dry. Never on to shy away from having fun with both adults and cousins. His laugh was so infectious that once he started it was almost impossible not to start laughing too. The reunions were always fun and eventful when he attended.
My sincere condolences to both of you and your families.
jon c
I knew and worked with Rod for 20 plus years. He made every meeting more fun and his contributions to our work cannot be overstated. It was always clear how much he loved his family. He'd have photos of his niece and nephew on his bulletin board and proudly provide us updates on their lives. In later years, he added photos of his great nieces. He often talked about his sisters and obviously looked forward to family get togethers and the associated traditions. When his mother was alive and able she used to bake the best banana bread and other treats. We'd look forward to him returning from a week-end in Vandalia--because he'd share those treats with us and said his Mom baked them specially for us. We'd encourage him to eat more vegetables every now and then, but in typical Rod fashion, he'd prefer to tease us for eating too many vegetables. I am so sorry for the family's loss, as I know he was a beloved brother and uncle and he has left all of us way too soon.
