Ted H. Funk | Obituaries

BLOOMINGTON — Ted H. Funk, 81, a sui generis authentic citizen of the world, passed away peacefully on November 28, 2020 in Bloomington, IL. Ted attended University High School in Normal, IL (class of 1957), before enrolling at Illinois Wesleyan University. Discovering his passion for photography while working on his school yearbooks and local press stories, he transferred to, and later graduated from, the University of Missouri’s top-ranked Photo Journalism program (where he later also pursued a Master’s degree).

Upon graduating from his beloved Mizzou, Ted embarked on a life-long career as a travel photographer, with his first overseas assignment coming from National Geographic. His travels took him to nearly every corner of the globe, shooting for outlets as diverse as Paris Match, National Geographic, Palm Beach Life, Travel & Leisure, London Sunday Times, Burda, Palm Beach Life, Fortune, and the UNICEF annual calendar; photographing world leaders; and producing National Geographic features including “Unsinkable Malta” (June, 1969), “Luxembourg, the Quiet Fortress” (July, 1970), and “The Manx and Their Isle of Man” (September, 1972). Ted, who had photo agents in New York, London, Japan, Sweden, and elsewhere, lived in, among other places, Frankfurt, Germany; Honolulu, Hawaii; and Winter Haven, Florida. In a twist of irony for a travel photographer, Ted had a deep fear of flying and avoided doing so whenever he could (a task made easier as his career seasoned) which explains how he, among other honorifics, rose to the ranks of being a “Cunard Mariner,” having racked up more than 50 transatlantic voyages on the Queen Elizabeth II (“QE2”) alone.