Claude Funkhouser Jr.

HARTSVILLE - Claude Funkhouser Jr. of Bethesda, Maryland, 89, who served the Navy in a patent advisory capacity for approximately 28 years, died June 30, 2011 at ManorCare Potomac in Potomac, MD. He had cancer. He was born in St. Joseph, Missouri, one of two children of Claude Funkhouser Sr. and Julia Jordan Funkhouser. His sister, Julia Funkhouser Cox, predeceased him.

Mr. Funkhouser graduated from the School of Engineering of the University of Missouri and then served as a First Lieutenant in the Field Artillery of the U.S. Army in France, Luxembourg and Germany during World War II. After military service, he was employed as a Patent Examiner in the U.S. Patent Office and graduated from George Washington University Law School, earning a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree.

Mr. Funkhouser was in private practice as a Patent Agent in Washington, DC and in Birmingham, Alabama. He was also in practice as a Patent Attorney in Alabama. He was a member of the Bar in Alabama and a Registered Professional Engineer in the District of Columbia and the State of Alabama. He was admitted to practice before the U.S. and Canadian Patent Offices, the U.S. Court of Customs and Patent Appeals and the Supreme Court of the United States. Before retiring in 1976, he had been involved in many types of patent matters at several Navy Commands and locations in the Washington, DC area and other parts of the country.

A resident of the Washington, DC area since 1946, he was a member of the Bethesda Presbyterian Church where he served at different times as Deacon, Elder, Trustee, and Stephen Minister. He also served as President of the Hillmead Citizens Association and was an avid ham radio operator and enthusiast.

Mr. Funkhouser was married in 1947 to Kathryn Luther of Hartsville, SC. Together they reared two children, a daughter and a son, and were fortunate to be able to celebrate their 64th wedding anniversary. In addition to his wife, surviving Mr. Funkhouser are daughter Claudia Funkhouser Everitt, and her husband Edward Foster Everitt both of Bethesda, MD; son Stephen Jordan Funkhouser of Gastonia, NC; grandson John Patrick Berger of Montgomery Village, MD and great granddaughters Corbyn Alexandra Pingel and Julia Lauren Berger. Also surviving are his niece Cynthia Cox McElroy and her family of Fairfax, VA and nephew Gregory Byrd Cox of St. Joseph, MO.

Expressions of sympathy may be made in the form of contributions to Bethesda Presbyterian Church, 7611 Clarendon Road, Bethesda, MD 20814.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, July 5, 2011 at the Brown-Pennington-Atkins Funeral Home Chapel with burial to follow in Magnolia Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 10-11 a.m. Tuesday at the funeral home. www.bpafuneralhome.com