ForeverMissed
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The Big Fueee

October 13, 2023
Carl had a contagious joy and laughter...he was so open and vulnerable to the embarassing and funny things that happened to him. I remember going we were going through the dating phase in high school and Carl asking me "how do I dance". Pre you-tube it...it  was a simple step or two I taught him in my room that day that barely passed for dancing. For the next decade- Carl would "dance that dance" with joy and laughter.  When we got serious about our faith in HS- he was always spiritually curious and seeking truth. Never a rule based Christian- always a love based Christian. I miss his laughter and joy and his authenticity.

Party on Big Fueee...we miss you....but I know you are 4 years into your eternal journey with the Lord and for that I am grateful.

Remembering my younger brother Carl

November 9, 2022
Yesterday was Carl's birthday. It rained torrentially, all day long, in Los Angeles. It was also Election Day. Carl was born on Election Day, 1960. He would have turned 62 yesterday. 

We were very close at times in our life, less close other times. But his authentic spirit was always present. He was a genuinely loving guy. He wanted the best for others. He loved to laugh. He was playful and affectionate.

Carl had plenty of dark times. He spoke to me of suicidal thoughts as early as his 20s. As so often happens in our world, the people who bring the most light and love and warmth are also frequently people who are seriously sad and troubled on the inside. Carl was almost the epitome of that kind of person. Tragically, they often feel the irresistible urge to leave the party early.

It's still hard to realize and comprehend that on that October day in 2019, Carl ended his life. It breaks my heart every time I think of it. I saw him for the last time just one week earlier, when he drove up to Los Angeles to help me celebrate my birthday. He had survived one suicide attempt by that point. We knew he was not "out of the woods" but we had no idea how close the end was. 

I miss my brother. Our family is not the same and never will be. I'm grateful to be connected to Carl's wife Janine, his kids and their partners, and his three grandkids. Go Carl!! You are definitely leading the pack when it comes to producing grandkids. As they grow older, I hope to be part of telling them about you and what a beautiful person you were (and are).

Love you Carl. Always.

memories of my friend

November 8, 2022
Hard to believe it has been 3 years since our brother in Christ left to be with His Lord and Savior. Often, a situation or conversation will come up that will remind me of my dear friend .... at times, when I recall similar events, I can still hear his quotes or sayings with his unique Carl-esk inflection  and  still see his mile wide grin........Missing you brother

A man to live up to

October 13, 2020
Carl always had such passion and perseverance in the things he cared about. Whether it was teaching, surfing, nutrition, God, and so many other things. He gave his all and was always there to help others along the way. 

I will always remember Carl as the man that had my back. The only two times I've been pulled over in the last few years was with him and he definitely had my back. Carl was the one that always wanted to listen to Phil Keaggy, watch surf videos, play guitar, sing, and talk about anything and everything. 

I know he had a lot of struggles, I truly believe that he saw no other way. It's horrible what happened and I wish it for no one. I do find solace in knowing that he is finally free of all his burdens. He truly loved his family. 

Although, I wish I could back and somehow convince him to stay, I know that his illness had him in the end. I love you Carl and I hope you know how much we all miss you!  

A Year After Carl Has Gone to be With Jesus

October 13, 2020
Not long after Carl passed to be with Jesus I had a dream.  In it an  image was gradually painted of our wedding day and the gazebo where we said our vows.  I was standing beside the gazebo alone in my wedding dress when Carl popped out from behind the gazebo in his wedding tux,  grabbed me by the hand and with his enormous cheer, huge smile and twinkle in his eyes he said, "Come on, I have so much to show you!"  He pulled me by the hand and ran with me behind the gazebo and beyond into a beautiful, lush and green woods that led to where he wanted to share the great joy that he had found....  
Carl is happy, and I can't wait to see him again

Carl Funk: Gentle Giant

November 29, 2019
This is a video that was produced for Carl's memorial service conducted on November 16, 2019 in Carlsbad, California.  

The eternal adventurer, optimist and humble mentor

November 19, 2019
I have been on many adventures with Carl......often just being with Carl was an adventure. The unshakable and vulnerable optimist, Carl would be up for almost any challenge presented him. I dragged poor naive Carl into so many adventures (most related to surfing) that where often well above his experience and ability at the time..... He never flinched or questioned my judgement, something he probably should have done on a few occasions. His trust/belief in God and people was exemplary. I realize now that though he looked to me as a mentor in many situations, the Lord used Carl to actually mentor me in lessons of  optimism, humility  and joy despite what was going on around us. I also realized that Carl's "MANY.... MANY" stories about his adventures/escapades were fondly about others and not really focused on him.......typical Carl. On many occasions when the conditions of our objective were not favorable (such as poor surf ), Carl had a way of making it a memorable adventure. .......... again a typical Carl trait. There is a saying (secular but biblical in nature) often used that depicts doing something even when there is great challenge directly ahead. It involved a Hawaiian big wave surfer who sacrificed his life for others during a historic sailing trip from Hawaii to Tahiti .......... " Eddie would go " has become a saying often used when there are great odds of failure and even fear.........  though the context may be different, I would like  think that "Carl would go" ......he would trust God and go forward..... I hope and pray to exhibit the trust, enthusiasm and humility our dear brother shared so genuinely with me.      

Celebration of Life

November 17, 2019
How good it was to spend yesterday with Carl’s family and friends.  Thanks to all the family who shared their hearts with us, and thanks to Jon whose God inspired message about Carl comforted our hearts in a way that only the Holy Spirit can do.  We will all continue to pray for comfort and healing for Carl’s loved ones. A special thankyou to Gretchen and Jon for orchestrating a beautiful time of remembering and honoring Carl.
November 15, 2019
Carl and I were friends and room mates at UCSD, 1979-84.  He was gentle, strong and always had a big heart and a smile that reflected his kind soul.  He made me laugh all of the time and I have many fond memories of our time together.  I think of the verse 2 Tim 7: For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.  Carl was a courageous christian and always spoke up for his faith.  He was also very strong in body and self-control.   He loved to surf, swim and work-out and took his training goals seriously.  One of the best memories I have was when Carl and I went on a ski trip to So Lake Tahoe.  We stayed with his gracious parents in Genoa NV and enjoyed the peaceful serenity of the Sierra and the Carson Valley. We would drive to Kirkwood and Heavenly for long days of skiing.  On our way back to Genoa, he would pretend to fall asleep while driving just to see me freak-out and then laugh about it.  Fun times.  ---  May I live in the courage of Our Lord in remembrance of my friend and brother Carl D Funk.
Tom Dougher
November 11, 2019
My name is Alix Friedman Rickman, I was a class mate at Carlthorp many years ago. I will always remember Carl for his big smile and he always liked to hold my hand on the playground.I guess it was a mutual crush! He was kind and sweet all the years I knew him in school.

Contagious and Overflowing

November 6, 2019
Carl’s contagious enthusiasm for all of life experiences was unmistakable!  I was not in Carl’s first circle of friends/roommates but rather in that second circle of shared friendships. I only mention that because his life joy easily and impactfully overflowed normal bounds. I can still indelibly remember his excitement of going on his first college mission trip, his being stoked about a great set of waves, his wanting to learn through a mentoring relationship with interns at La Jolla Pres, or his being moved by seeing Les Mis at the Schubert Theater.  Such sincere and deep joy lapped over and are still vivid and wonderful memories for me 35 years later.

Life has so many jagged edges.As I read the tributes posted here, Carl was a part of God’s temporal hand of grace that helps soften those edges in many lives.  Now Carl has a glimpse and unending stake in the eternal hand of grace which will turn all swords into plowshares.

November 3, 2019
When i think of Carl, i smile.  He was such a fun, loving, thoughtful, gentle man.  Carl and I were roommates in our college years.  We shared an apartment on Temecula Street in Point Loma, affectionately known as "The Ranch".  Our roommate was Brad Bailey.  Kevin, Jeff, Tony, Jerry, Dave, Chris and various homeless people lived in that place. It was an exciting and formative time of my life.  Lots of surf, potlucks, church, and hanging out.  Whether it was talking theology or surf, Carl was always such an encouragement.  His smile and his encouragement are two of my strongest memories of him.  One fun memory is of Brad and I trying to surprise Carl and tackle him.  He was so big and strong we thought it a great challenge to try to knock him down.  We tried many times with little success.  Carl would just overpower us and by the time we hit the ground he was on top!  With a huge smile!
November 2, 2019
Carl was one of the most well-liked people I've ever known. Friendly. Fun. Funny. Loved God. Goofy. Big hearted. Generous. Sensitive. Kind. Courageous. Transparent. Self-doubting. Deep. Well read. Smart. Wise. Savvy. Incredibly Charismatic. I could go on and on – as many of you could.

A couple quick stories:

When we were in our early twenties, I was out with Carl, and I mentioned to him that I was getting sick. He immediately prayed for me. That night I could feel the sickness accelerating thru my body. I've never felt anything like that since. The next morning, I was fine. It was my first experience with the power of prayer for healing.
On one of our Baja surf trips we drove down to Cuatros Casas, which is about 5-6 hours down and a place we went to often back in the day. We drove in Carl’s black Ford truck with a white camper shell. Awesome truck -- it was lifted and may have even had 4-wheel drive. Carl, Eric Lehmkuhl and I were checking out the surf between Cuatros and Little Rincon/Shipwrecks. It was getting dark so we started heading back to Cuatros, where we were camping. There was a marsh/salt flat that looked like a makeable shortcut. I talked Carl into taking it and he apprehensively gunned it. About 50 yards in we got totally stuck. Orange clay muck. Probably a foot deep. We were toast. Eric got out of the truck and the mud sucked his shoe right off. We tried everything - rocks, seaweed, wood, everything except sacrificing one of our boards – which we considered. It started getting dark so we trudged thru the muck to dry land and crashed out. The next morning we flagged down a fisherman who went into town, which was about 20 minutes away. An hour or so later he came back with about 150 feet of 1 ½ inch rope. Thankfully he was able to pull us out of there - for the bargain price of $100. Eric said it was best $100 bucks ever spent.

Looking forward to eternity with our dear Brother Carl. It’s going to be so fun to see him completely whole, healthy and happy. That’s how I like to think of him. But I also had so much respect for his intellect, depth and heart. Just a remarkable human being. I still can’t really talk or think about him much. Loved him a lot like do many of you, and like many of you I will continue to pray for Janine and his family. Bless you all.

JoAnne and Rich Abrassart

November 2, 2019
What a shock to the system to hear this news!  The last time the four of us were together was a wonderful dinner at Ponte on a beautiful day.  We hadn’t seen one another in a while so there was so much to catch up on...it was wonderful.  I first met Carl when he contacted me on a professional matter.  We had several conversations back and forth and he ended up inviting me to address a soecial Ed class he was taking.  From there he encouraged us to start attending Gateway Nazarene church which we did.  For a period of time our lives intersected rather often with Janine and Carl.  We shared a great enthusiasm for the Jewish people and attended a Night to Honor Israel in San Diego.  I routinely asked him if HE  was Jewish...that usually prompted a big smile. He loved to tell me how he came across Arnold Fruchtenbaum  (a leading expert in Messianic Theology) while eating at a restaurant.  Of course Carl introduced himself and to his great delight was invited to sit down for a bit of conversation!   One day I shared a book with him called The Invisible War.  It really ignited his awareness of spiritual warfare and he wanted everyone at church to have a copy!  We will certainly miss Carl and we grieve for Janine and children as they sort through life without him.  We have the assurance that this did not take God by surprise and that one day ALL things will be made right

Fresh Hope’s Last Night with Carl

October 25, 2019
I took this picture on October 10th with the intention of looking up the book he was reading so I could check it out. As I was taking the picture, HE was trying to comfort another fellow participant who was feeling down with a bit of humor.

 He was very open when he spoke that night. He said, “I know I have to be honest with how I’m actually feeling. Even though my hope tank is empty, my faith in God remains. I know He’s with me, even though I can’t feel Him right now. I know He’s there.”

 He never stopped loving God. Even in his greatest time of need, Carl still had the strength to care and love on others around him.

Brother in Christ

October 25, 2019
My family and I met Carl and his family at Gateway Church of the Nazarene in 2010. I was immediately drawn to his sweet kind spirit and the knowledge of God's Word. We were in the same Bible studies and we had a blast acting and singing in the Church's Christmas and Easter musicals. One of my fondest memories of Carl is when he taught our Sunday school class the Seder. My heart aches at his passing but I know I will see him again. I love you brother

UCSD and Campus Crusade

October 19, 2019
I remember meeting Carl when I was in High School.  He and Jon were best friends and Carl was like a big teddy bear, a gentle giant.  He had the biggest smile and such a warm laugh and kind spirit. We had such a great time of fellowship, and my sophomore year Carl and Tom Dougher lived above Keryn, Kimmie, Diana and I.  We shared many dinners together and times of prayer.  Carl would play his guitar and sing at night sometimes and I recall banging in the ceiling to get him to quiet down.  
  That thanksgiving we had an amazing  group of students and we all came together and shared what we had.  Carl was a big eater and would consume a huge amount of food.
  One adventure I will never forget is when a bunch of us from church pulled into Carl’s van and went skiing together at Bear Valley, and we stayed in a cabin and sang worship songs, prayed together, laughed so hard and enjoyed sweet fellowship. 
 I hadn’t seen Carl in years but he was such an important part of my life.  I will truly miss him and will be praying for his wife and fami

Carl's Prophecy

October 17, 2019
I remember hanging out with Carl here in the late 80s.  He had just moved back down to San Diego and was living with Jonny on Ravina in La Jolla.    At that time, he was super excited about Christian men's groups.  He said to me, "There's going to be a movement of men coming together."  I just thought at the time that he was way too excited about something like that.  Then the Promise Keepers thing happened a few years later in the early 90s where men were creating accountability groups and filling stadiums to worship God.  It was an amazing phenomenon.  I often thought about Carl's "prophecy" during that time.   I also remember surfing with him for the first time.  His smile when he stood up on a wave at the Shores on his longboard will forever be engraved in my mind.  He was always filled with positive energy when he was around me.  

I used to take people like Carl for granted.  Now, I realize that people like him are rare and precious.  Nobody will know the pain that Carl was feeling and I feel for his family.   I'm thankful that I got to spend time with him recently and I'm thankful that I'll see him again.

Carls Influence on my life

October 16, 2019
My family moved from SD to LA for a while. I ended up as Carls neighbor. There he was playing volleyball in his front yard. We were 14. We immediately became friends. Junior High was a jungle but we had each other. It was because of Carl I became a Jesus follower. It was because of Carl I became a surfer. He was vocal about his faith in 9th grade! Soon we were going to ventura on surf trips with friends who had cars. 
We went to ur first dance together and I taught him the basic moves(which still are horrible to this day).

I could taljk for hours about Carl. He was my spiritual  brother.  
He always wanted to do the right thing. He always had a Jesus lens as he walked through life. 

Thank you Carl for helping me find Jesus. I will see you again my friend.

Big Carl in Europe

October 16, 2019
We went to Europe at 16yrs  with Carls Mom and Dad. We flew over early and visited some relatives in England. At the table, a British cousin asked Carl "What did you say your last name was? " Carl said Funk, as in funky music...Funk" The cousin exclaimed" Good God Funk"  what a name! It became our rallying cry for years  "Good God Funk!"

In France he  started greeting everybody with a Clousseau Pink Panther accent and that became the norm for all English spoken on foreign soil. He was hilarious.  Huge dude speaking in English with a thick french accent ordering from a menu in France. Couldnt stop laughing when the waiter would repeat the English in the same accent back to Carl.

Carl was always finding the humour in almost any situation. The kind of humour that was comforting and transparent...like "i was so embarassed to ask her to dance I turned beet red and had to flee" or if he dropped something in public he would say SUPER loud "OOOOOOOPS" to be funny and diffuse the embarassment. He was always making us feel like life was an adventure and relationships were the heart of it and it was OK to be yourself! I am soo deeply going to miss his friendship and company. 

Carl was always kind, always thoughtful and always available to listen.
October 16, 2019
Dear Brothers and Sisters, D. Carl Funk was one of a band of brothers, who were all my roommates in Ocean Beach in the early 1980's, and he was more than generous with everything God gave him... That huge smile, and his even 'huger' bro-hugs! Always ready with an encouraging word of God's endless love. I believe that Carl and Phil Keagy were 'Brothers of different mothers', and also know that they shared the same Loving Father whom we all know... or should know, if Carl has anything to say about it! When I first married in 1983, Carl graciously adopted my Golden Retriever, Josh, when the appartment we could afford wouldn't take pets. Those two were a perfect pair... both with boundless love to share! The 6'2" Caster Thruster, he gifted me, nearly 40 years ago, now hangs on my son's wall, as tribute to the man who lived the Love of Christ. I can't wait be in his massive embrace again, in God's perfect timing. I love you forever Carl, Jerry
October 16, 2019
Carl your strong gentle way has always blessed me. Your feet were always so well planted securely on the ground. Your ears and heart were so willing to be used. Though our closeness was limited you always showed me care and interest and concern.      Your faith was obviously being lived out, I will miss the Earthly more, but excited to experience the More with you, and our Lord in Heaven!

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