Dr. Ruth Seth Funderburg, 86, died on February 2, 2017 in Riverview, FL. A native of New Bedford, Massachusetts, she moved to Riverview from Atlanta, GA in 1999 after the death of her husband, Col. Charles E Funderburg USAF (ret). She is preceded in death by her sister, Caroline Forsythe. She is survived by three children: Charles D Funderburg (Catherine) of Houston, TX, Carolyn D Funderburg of Lawrenceville, GA, and K Seth Funderburg (Gayle) of Riverview, FL, 10 grandchildren: C Wesley Funderburg (Blake), Alicia R. Funderburg, Seth Funderburg (Annie-Grace), Krista Funderburg, Marcus Funderburg, Justin Funderburg, Curtis Funderburg, Linda Funderburg, and Robin Funderburg, three great-grandchildren, Logan, Shane, and Kai Funderburg, and sister, Helen Walton of Valencia, California, and many nieces and nephews.
A graduate of Spelman College where she received her Bachelor of Arts Degree she further received her Masters and Doctorate degrees in Special Education and Psychology from the University of Arizona.
Ruth began her career after her last child entered school. She taught deaf and blind children at the Arizona State School for the Deaf for six years. While working on her graduate degrees she was asked to coordinate a new teacher training program for the deaf-blind. She was on the faculty in the graduate programs at the University of Arizona, the University of Hawaii, Gallaudet College for the Deaf, and West Georgia College. She finished her professional career as director of a statewide program for deaf, blind, and deaf-blind infants and their parents, a home based program, under the Georgia State Department of Education and a federal grant, which she held for thirteen years. She also taught as a visiting professor at Salem State Teachers College (Mass), Western Maryland College and San Diego State Teachers College. She authored several textbooks in her field, wrote many published journal articles and conducted numerous workshops in her field across the country.
After her retirement, she volunteered at the Jimmy Carter Foundation in Atlanta until her husband became ill. After arriving in Brandon she volunteered at the American Cancer Society and The Brandon Outreach Clinic for several years.
She was a former member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Pi Lambda Theta Educational Honorary Society, The Brandon Service League and the UMW Mary Circle of New Hope United Methodist Church of Brandon.
There will be a memorial service on Friday, February 10, 2017 at 2:00 pm at New Hope United Methodist Church in Brandon. Dr Funderburg will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA with her husband.