Dan Funk Memory Wall

If you are extremely really lucky, you find a person that shares your passions and is willing to pour their heart and soul into those things that are important to you. Perhaps you find someone that will help you out, no matter what kind of help you need and is willing to accept your help in return -- without feeling indebted. The best of friends, however, are those people who root for you and your successes, while never being jealous of your success. More importantly, the best of friends are willing to revel in your achievements and the triumphs of your family as if, those achievements and triumphs were theirs as well. But most of all, if you play your cards right, you find a friend who becomes family. A friend who is more like a brother than a friend. And for me -- Dan Funk -- was one of those rare individuals and rare friends. You inspired me, you pushed me and most importantly, you loved me. As you have always said -- Only Love!! RIP. El Grande. Until we're reunited in Paradise.

Coach Dan, I think it is safe to say by the outpouring of love, you are a man that everyone looked up to and admired. You taught us to always believe in ourselves. To never settle for anything less than great. And to never leave the field with anything less than a smile on our face. Your smile lit up the field, and your drive made everyone want to be the best.  

I feel lucky enough to have been coached by you, Coach Tim, Mr. Marc, Mr. Norm, and especially, my dad. My Dad looked up to you and I hope you both are having endless summer, softball weekends up in Heaven. What I would do to go back and have one of those weekends, especially the weekend of States where you told us that you would eat a cicada if we won. Well, I am pretty sure I still remember the sound of that crunch- ha.  

I will forever be thankful for those weekends, those nights at practice where we all came together as family. We laughed, we cried, and most importantly- we loved. And Coach Dan, we have you to thank for that. You loved us for who were, the flaws we had. You would do anything for any of us. And I can only hope to be half the person you were, because let's be honest- there is no one like Coach Dan.

Coach Dan Funk, 
Receiving the call today of your passing has brought me great sadness. You were a great coach, mentor, and friend to everyone you crossed paths with. I am very lucky to say that I was one of them. To the first day with my new Churchville Lightning family until now, you made me feel welcomed and at home. I will miss and cherish those days that you made me come out of my shell and become a better softball player, leader, and overall better person. Your wise words always brought me up and out of the dirt. Your positive attitude towards life has brightened my eyes even more now. You never complained, you just keep fighting till God brought you home. I know you haven’t stopped cheering everyone on since you left us. 
My heart goes out to his family and friends.
Love you Coach Dan, I will continue to make you proud and one day become a huge impact on others' lives like you we’re to us. #51 (Hannah - The Beast)

I started hitting lessons with Coach Dan shortly after I joined Lightning and continued with them for quite some time. This is one of my favorite stories and some of you may already know it. During a lesson in the facility, I was hitting in the cage and Coach Dan was sitting on the outside of the net giving me pointers. I’ve always been hard on myself. He’d be the first to tell me that too, and this particular day was no different. I wasn’t hitting the way that I wanted to, and I was frustrated. I’m also extremely stubborn— he’d tell you that as well. At one point I hit the ball and he said, “Good job!” to which I replied “No, it wasn’t.” Dan said, “Oh stop, you’re fine.” We went back and forth with each other for a couple minutes until we were both fuming. He asked me for the bat back and I chucked it at him. He yelled, flipped me off, and literally walked out the door. I packed up my stuff and drove home with my dad in tears— that was our first fight. Text messages were exchanged, apologies and explanations sent, and the next day we were laughing about it and exchanging hugs. It was genuinely the talk of the facility for a few days. That is who Dan was— the most passionate man I’d ever met, and I so badly wanted to do better for him. We didn’t fight out of anger, we fought because he made me want to do more, be more, work harder and I was frustrated that I wasn’t demonstrating that in the moment. He yelled because he wanted me to believe in myself, for me to be proud of what I was doing, to give myself credit. We argued that day because we loved each other so much. I’ve never forgotten that moment and how lucky I feel to have known a love that strong from such an amazing man. He told me he gained respect for me that day— that he saw how bad I wanted it and that I challenged him because of it. If only he knew he was the one who taught me that. 

I will never forget how you welcomed us with open arms. You always made Mia and I feel so special when you were truly the special one. Thank you for having such a wonderful soul. Rest in peace, Warrior.

Mr. Dan- Thank you for always pushing me to my limits on and off the field. I can’t even count the number of people who ask me things like - Sara why are you smiling all the time, how do you make light of every situation, where did you get your vibe from, etc. The answer is you Dan Funk, you taught me and countless others to treat other with only love, spread love, and be the light. You taught me to never give up and take no one’s bs.
You set the bar high, and I’ll continue to be the best person I can be, much love Mr. Dan, forever blessed by the impact you made on my life. Beyond Grateful for the years you coached me and raised me to be a better human. You have no choice but to rest which you were never good at, but I hope you found peace and rest in paradise #funkpowerforever

I haven't seen you physically since your days at Avonworth. Since connecting with you again on FB so many years later, I got to say, your posts daily I found to be so inspirational and uplifting. You have touched so many lives. You've definitely lived the perfect DASH between December 25, 1964 - March 25, 2023. A true Christmas Baby blessing you were.
As I send prayers and condolences for strength and comfort to your entire family and friends during this difficult time of grief. RIP Danny you fought a courageous battle... 

My sister and I worked with Mr. Dan when we were in high school for batting lessons and softball camps. Mr. Dan knew everyone he worked with not as just a client but also as a friend. No matter what, I always had a great time working with Mr. Dan. No matter what was going on in my life, Mr. Dan’s radiant energy simply made me happy. I’m sure anyone who knew him felt that way. He was absolutely, positively the most unique person I have probably ever met. The best part about Mr. Dan, however, was that he always wanted greatness. He was one of the most determined individuals I have ever met in my life. He did not just want greatness for himself, but for everyone he met and worked with. Even when I started running track and field outside of softball he wanted greatness for me. I feel blessed and grateful to have known and worked with Mr. Dan. I will always cherish the many memories I have with him. I am keeping his family in my prayers. 

Coach Dan touched the lives of so many people, many of which feel a heavy heart for his passing. He was a one-of-a-kind man, with a huge heart. Personally, Coach Dan was there for me both on and off the field, not only as coach, but as a mentor and friend as well.

There are simply an endless amount of stories I could tell about Coach Dan. I had lessons with him at least twice a week, and always made sure to go and visit him whenever I went to the facility. I could go to him at my lowest lows and my highest highs. He was always there to motivate me and to help me push through any tough times that I was having.

When I tore my ACL, Coach Dan was there to help push me through it. Being such a long recovery, there were numerous times where I wanted to give up. With Coach Dan, quitting wasn’t an option. He understood exactly what I was going through and knew exactly what insight he needed to share with me. He continuously pushed me and helped me persevere to get back to health so that I could play the game I loved so much. He always made sure to check in and see how my recovery was going, and to make sure that everything was okay both mentally and physically.

Without him, I would not be the person I am today. First coming to Lightning, I was a shy and hesitant girl. Because of him, I am now more outgoing and am always striving to reach my goals and be the best I can be. I know he will always be watching over, rooting for me to continue to overcome obstacles thrown my way. 

My favorite memories are watching the young players gather around Dan, they were drawn to him, whether at the field or in the facility. Even the girls that didn't know him, maybe were there for a Clinic, wanted to be around him. 

We met Coach Dan last fall when Shay Campbell joined the 18U team. Although, we didn’t know him very long each time, I felt like we’ve known him forever as we shared stories and laughter during practice. I wish we had more time so I could express how much of an impact that he made on Shay’s confidence as a softball player. For now, I’ll just say to know such a beautiful soul like Coach Dan even for a split second, is truly a blessing. We will forever remember each, and every moment spent with him. I can’t say that Heaven gained an Angel because he was an Angel walking on earth that simply returned home. Sleep in peace Coach Dan. You have truly won the championship game! 

Coach Dan has been a blessing in our family’s life since the moment we met him! His positive energy, endless smiles and “ready to rock” attitude were not only inspirational but incredibly impactful in all of our lives. Anyone who knew Dan instantly adored him and both of my girls loved him and looked forward to their time with Coach Dan! They would laugh, share stories, improve their game and even learn life lessons along the way. Coach Dan took special interest in knowing everyone he came in contact with! No matter how bad he was feeling, he was most concerned about making it the best day for those he was with. He would push himself beyond what doctors thought possible, and he always lived each day to the fullest, for his family and friends. At times I questioned if he was superhuman or at the very least had superpowers.

I believe that people are put in your life for a reason and I believe that Coach Dan was put in our lives to teach us what it truly means to be selfless, to work hard even when things seem dark or difficult, to believe in yourself, to prove that our mind and our will to achieve goals is our super-power and most of all, to never give up. Coach Dan is a true gift from God that we will cherish forever.

I will miss our Saturday morning pitching lessons with Kendall. Dan would get so excited every time Kendall threw a strike and she loved his reaction! As a matter of fact, his reaction alone would encourage her to throw each pitch a little better than the last. She was so proud of herself because he was proud of her! She couldn’t wait to tell Coach Dan that she struck out a few batters last fall and she was looking forward to sharing stories about more strikeouts this spring.

I will miss our hitting lessons with Caleigh and learning all of the unique ways he would teach her. Dan and I were often amazed by the similarities in skating and softball. Caleigh thrived on Coach Dan’s positive energy and encouragement. He always knew how to make her believe in herself. He truly understood her and what makes her tick. He would always tell her to stop worrying and what a good ball player she is. I will never forget the day he taught her to hit lefty. She laughed when he said it, but quickly realized he was serious. She responded with, “I can’t hit lefty” to which he said, “Why not? Just do it”. He always believed in her even when she didn’t believe in herself! Now it is a challenge that she loves working on. I have no doubt that her first lefty slap hit or drop bunt in a game will be one that brings a smile to her face, and one that she will treasure just because Dan always thought she could!

Coach Dan, thanks for being such a special part of our lives. Your life lessons will stay with us forever! We will cherish the 19 months that we had with you, and I have no doubt the girls will always strive to make you proud! Thanks for believing in all of us and for being the light in our lives even in your darkest days! We love you and miss you so much!

Below is a text that Cal sent to Coach Dan last Friday and the message Kendall wrote in the card she made for Coach Dan on Saturday morning. They truly loved him.

From Cal #2- Hey, coach Dan it’s Cal. I just wanted to reach out and say a few things. First, I want to tell you, you have changed my life. You taught me courage, how to let things go and focus on only the good, how to NOT beat myself up, and most importantly to be faithful. Second, I just want to say you got this! You are so strong and the bravest person I have ever met I know you can win this battle! Third, I just want to say how much I love you and love that you are in my life. You make me laugh, help me when I cry, and always make me smile. Finally, I just want to say thank you! Thank you for everything you do. You do and will forever change my life. Love you! Best wishes

From Kendall (8 yrs old) - Dear Coach Dan, I hope you feel better. I really miss you, but I know you are strong enough to get through this. I’ll throw lots of strikes for you. Love, Kendall

When I was 14, I joined the Churchville Lightning. I was a hot head with a loudmouth & attitude problem. People didn’t want to like me, people called me “the not good Kim sister”, I even overheard someone say, “she’s not good for the Lightning image”. Coach Dan loved me from the jump. He looked at me & said “you’re all wrong, she’s got passion”. He loved my fire (his words) & he taught me to love it too. When I was almost 15, I was at a lesson with Coach Dan & I saw a tattoo of his that said, “MOLON LABE”. Being young I didn’t know what it meant, so I asked. His response was, “it's funny you ask about this tattoo out of all the ones I have. This one makes me think of you.” I still didn’t know what he meant so I asked him to explain. He continued to tell me the story of Spartans. How when asked to lay down their weapons, they responded with, “MOLON LABE” which translates to, “come & take them”. While I loved the story & the meaning behind it. I didn’t understand what it had to do with me. So again, I asked. His response, “you’re a fighter. You have a warrior's spirit. Don’t ever lose that. If someone comes along & tries to take that from you, you tell them “Come & take it” & you fight like hell. Never lose your fire.” That day changed my life in ways I cannot explain. Coach Dan, I promise you for the rest of my life, I will carry your warrior spirit with me. I love you beyond measure. MOLON LABE -Cat Kim (Pocket) #1

I’ve known Coach Dan for pretty much my entire softball career. We’ve had hours and hours of hitting lessons, conditioning camps, and team practices together. Coach Dan changed me from a 10-year-old scared, insecure girl into a confident, strong softball player. He taught me lessons in his gym that went beyond just softball. I wouldn’t be half the person I am today without his guidance. I’m going to miss hearing him sing “L Train” and our annual updates about life. He was so much more than a softball coach. I will miss him for the rest of my life. Thank you for everything Coach. You have inspired me in ways I can’t describe. You truly are one in a kind. 

Mr. Dan. I love you! There aren't enough words to describe the person you were. You were everything I needed as a young girl. Not only the best pitching coach but the best support, friend, and life coach. Monday night lessons with you changed the player, girl, daughter, sister, and friend that I am. You inspired me to be the best at whatever I did. I always joked that my Monday night lessons were more of a therapy session than anything. You are a major part of why I am who I am today. I will always cherish that one-on-one time with you, and I can't thank you enough for everything you have done for me. My heart hurts for the young players that aren't lucky enough to have known you. For now, it's see you later and when it's my time save one more lesson for me.

Only love,
Hannah #47