It is with the greatest sadness that we announce that our dear friend, colleague, and champion, Susan Stucke Funk, passed away on December 10, 2023.
Susan was the first student who walked through the door on September 7, 1977, for the first semester of Williams-Mystic, launching what was to be her extraordinary life-long career with Mystic Seaport Museum. Susan enjoyed many other firsts during her more than 40 years at the Seaport: She was the first Williams-Mystic alum to become a Program staff member, serving as an Administrative Assistant in the fall of 1983. She was the first Williams-Mystic alum to work full-time at Mystic Seaport, the first President of the Williams-Mystic Alumni Council, and, naturally, the recipient of the first Susan Stucke Funk Alumni Distinguished Service Award in 1997, which only eight additional alums have received in the subsequent 26 years. Having been appointed in the spring of 2001 as Vice President for Education and Public Programs, Susan then became the first woman to be Executive Vice President of Mystic Seaport in 2008, a position she held until her retirement in June 2020.
Always optimistic, buoyant, radiant, and generous, Susan emanated the very best of Mystic Seaport. Over her many dedicated years, she held no fewer than 12 different Museum job titles – including in her early years Weaving Exhibit Supervisor, Assistant Supervisor of Ships and Boats Interpretation, and Director of Interpretation. She knew every Seaport corner and nook.
Behind many of the publicly seen – and many of the behind the scenes – transformations of Mystic Seaport was Susan. Her many epic milestones in which she was deeply involved – and made her beam – included the Museum’s construction of the schooner Amistad, the 38th voyage of the whaleship Charles W. Morgan (including being in a Morgan-launched whaleboat on Stellwagen Bank greeting whales breaching only a few feet away!), and creating the new north end of the Museum grounds, including the building of the Thompson Exhibition Building.
Susan was also one of the earliest and strongest advocates of the campaign that led to building a new Marine Science Center, renovating Sturges (formerly Craig) Cottage, and all of the student houses. Susan was an early supporter of the concept in the early 1990s of expanding Williams-Mystic field seminars to the Pacific coast and in the mid-2000s to Louisiana – and then accompanied us on field seminars.
Susan was it all: student, teacher, guide, visionary, senior Museum officer. Above all, Susan was a passionate champion of Williams-Mystic and Mystic Seaport, seeing the best in both the institutions and the people. Her presence, her touch, are everywhere. Upon her retirement, the Children’s Museum at the Seaport was named in her honor.
In Susan’s application, as a Bates College student in January 1977 to attend Williams-Mystic she wrote, "I am ... interested in pursuing museum work as a career." Susan fulfilled her dream beyond imagination.
Susan’s immediate family surviving her are her husband Jim Funk, her daughter and F'04 alum Arianna (Erik), son Nathaniel, and two grandchildren.
- Jim Carlton, Director Emeritus
on behalf of Susan's Williams-Mystic Family
