[BSW] Very sad news... Vicki Funk

[KATHY BILTON]

Robin Everly sent me this:

From: Johnson, Kirk R. <JohnsonKR at si.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, October 23, 2019 10:13 AM
Subject: Vicki Funk

Dear Friends -

It is with a heavy heart and a great sense of personal loss that I share
the news that Dr. Vicki Funk passed away yesterday.  It is not an
overstatement to say that Vicki was a pioneer in her field and a
cornerstone of our NMNH community.

Vicki came to the museum in 1981 after having earned her PhD at Ohio
State University the previous year.  She served as Curator of Asteraceae
in the Botany Department for 38 years and as the Director of the
Smithsonian’s Biological Diversity of the Guiana Shield Program.  I’m
also forever grateful that she agreed to serve as the Acting Associate
Director for Science in 2018. 

She was a prolific researcher serving as lead or contributing author on
over 280 publications.  Vicki was a mentor to students, early career
scientists, and those of us with more established careers.  Her
professional accolades were many, including being named an AAAS Fellow in
1987 and receiving the Linnaean Society’s Linneaen Medal for Botany and
the American Society of Plant Taxonimist’s Asa Gray Award over the past
several months.

The past year has been a challenging one for Vicki.  The fact that she
confronted it head on with strength, dignity, and humor was a surprise to
none of us.  That is who she was.

I know you join me in extending our deepest sympathies to Vicki’s
friends, family, and colleagues around the world and here in our own
community.  We will all miss her greatly.

As is our custom, we will share a fuller tribute to Vicki in the days
ahead and we will announce memorial service details as they become
available. 

Sincerely,

Kirk

Kirk Johnson
Sant Director

w 202.633.2664  johnsonkr at si.edu
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY