Legal community to honor late Harold Funke with Liberty Bell Award
Frank Speziale photo
NORWICH – Chenango County Bar Association’s Annual Law Day Celebration will take place on Friday, May 18 at 1 p.m. in the Chenango County Courthouse. The celebration is free and the public is encouraged to attend.
For the first time at the celebration, the Liberty Bell Award will be given posthumously to 2018 recipient Harold W. Funke. Funke served in the Korean War as a United States Marine before his 21-years as a New York State Trooper. He was a member of the state scuba diving team, a former Norwich High School attendance officer, and was heavily involved in the Norwich VFW Post 2782 and South New Berlin American Legion Post 1289.
Chenango County Court Judge Frank Revoir said of the award, “Basically we give the award to someone who, through their example – it could be through their personal life, their career, or both – promotes respect for the law, the constitution, and respect for civil rights.”
Funke was a member of the South New Berlin Fire Department, a Chenango County Court attendant, a Norwich YMCA lifeguard, a water aerobics instructor, a referee for high school football, a volunteer driver for DAV, a chimney inspector, and 55-year member of the South New Berlin First Baptist Church. He was married to his wife, Betty, for 63 years and the two have five children 15 grandchildren, and 17 great-great grandchildren.
Betty Funke will be accepting the award on Harold’s behalf at the Law Day Celebration, and one of Harold’s sons, Kurt, will be delivering remarks at the ceremony. Ronald J. Palmer, a best friend of Funke’s, will also be speaking about Funke at the event.
The recipient is chosen by a committee, Revoir said, and past recipients include former Norwich Police Chief Joe Angelino, former Norwich schools principal Gary Brookins, former Chenango County Treasurer Bill Evans, and others. Retired Chenango County Court Judge W. Howard Sullivan will speak about the history of the Liberty Bell Award at Law Day.
“If you kind of go down the list of individuals, there’s kind of a common thread; they tended to set an example for lots of people, typically younger people, by the things they did in their career,” said Revoir.
In addition of the awarding of the Liberty Bell Award, the Law Day Celebration will also commemorate the winning 2018 Chenango County Mock Trial Team, Gilbertsville-Mt. Upton. Gilbertsville-Mt. Upton’s Mock Trial Team made it to the finals of regionals this year, and Revoir said, “...they had a great showing.”
Coordinator of the Chenango County Mock Trial Program and County Court Attorney Jonathan P. Catania will present the 16 Gilberstville-Mt. Upton mock trial team members with a trophy, along with their coach, Raquel Norton, and team attorney advisor, Claudette Newman.
Also at Law Day, Presiding Justice of the Third Department Elizabeth Garry will be speaking about the 2018 Law Day theme, “The Separation of Powers; the Framework for Freedom,” and retired Norwich City Court Judge James Cushman will be presenting the Chenango County Bar Association Scholarship.
Revoir said of the event, “It’s a court proceeding, we have a stenographer who takes everything down, but it’s completely open to the public. It’s free, it’s in the Chenango County Courthouse, and we encourage everybody who wants to be there to be there.”
Refreshments will be served after the Law Day closing remarks.
Pictured: Harold W. Funke at the City of Norwich Veteran’s Day observation in November 2014. Funke passed away on March 30, 2018, but will be posthumously given the Liberty Bell Award at the Law Day Celebration. (Frank Speziale photo)
NORWICH – Chenango County Bar Association’s Annual Law Day Celebration will take place on Friday, May 18 at 1 p.m. in the Chenango County Courthouse. The celebration is free and the public is encouraged to attend.
For the first time at the celebration, the Liberty Bell Award will be given posthumously to 2018 recipient Harold W. Funke. Funke served in the Korean War as a United States Marine before his 21-years as a New York State Trooper. He was a member of the state scuba diving team, a former Norwich High School attendance officer, and was heavily involved in the Norwich VFW Post 2782 and South New Berlin American Legion Post 1289.
Chenango County Court Judge Frank Revoir said of the award, “Basically we give the award to someone who, through their example – it could be through their personal life, their career, or both – promotes respect for the law, the constitution, and respect for civil rights.”
Funke was a member of the South New Berlin Fire Department, a Chenango County Court attendant, a Norwich YMCA lifeguard, a water aerobics instructor, a referee for high school football, a volunteer driver for DAV, a chimney inspector, and 55-year member of the South New Berlin First Baptist Church. He was married to his wife, Betty, for 63 years and the two have five children 15 grandchildren, and 17 great-great grandchildren.
Betty Funke will be accepting the award on Harold’s behalf at the Law Day Celebration, and one of Harold’s sons, Kurt, will be delivering remarks at the ceremony. Ronald J. Palmer, a best friend of Funke’s, will also be speaking about Funke at the event.
The recipient is chosen by a committee, Revoir said, and past recipients include former Norwich Police Chief Joe Angelino, former Norwich schools principal Gary Brookins, former Chenango County Treasurer Bill Evans, and others. Retired Chenango County Court Judge W. Howard Sullivan will speak about the history of the Liberty Bell Award at Law Day.
“If you kind of go down the list of individuals, there’s kind of a common thread; they tended to set an example for lots of people, typically younger people, by the things they did in their career,” said Revoir.
In addition of the awarding of the Liberty Bell Award, the Law Day Celebration will also commemorate the winning 2018 Chenango County Mock Trial Team, Gilbertsville-Mt. Upton. Gilbertsville-Mt. Upton’s Mock Trial Team made it to the finals of regionals this year, and Revoir said, “...they had a great showing.”
Coordinator of the Chenango County Mock Trial Program and County Court Attorney Jonathan P. Catania will present the 16 Gilberstville-Mt. Upton mock trial team members with a trophy, along with their coach, Raquel Norton, and team attorney advisor, Claudette Newman.
Also at Law Day, Presiding Justice of the Third Department Elizabeth Garry will be speaking about the 2018 Law Day theme, “The Separation of Powers; the Framework for Freedom,” and retired Norwich City Court Judge James Cushman will be presenting the Chenango County Bar Association Scholarship.
Revoir said of the event, “It’s a court proceeding, we have a stenographer who takes everything down, but it’s completely open to the public. It’s free, it’s in the Chenango County Courthouse, and we encourage everybody who wants to be there to be there.”
Refreshments will be served after the Law Day closing remarks.
Pictured: Harold W. Funke at the City of Norwich Veteran’s Day observation in November 2014. Funke passed away on March 30, 2018, but will be posthumously given the Liberty Bell Award at the Law Day Celebration. (Frank Speziale photo)
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