The annual walk to end Alzheimer’s begins Saturday, with participants honoring those affected, including Ginny Funk, who shares her family’s journey.
SAN ANTONIO — The annual walk to end Alzheimer’s kicks off Friday with our very own Bill Taylor as emcee. At the heart of it all is the reason for walking…the people and families impacted.
Leading us into the walk is Ginny Funk, who lost her mother to Alzheimer’s, and is now watching her father live with it.
In the quiet space between memory and now, Bob Funk reflects. “Oh, I think about everything; you can always think about the weather,” Bob said.
Sunrays greet him outside every day. Teddy bears line his room. “The last bear I got was really something, I’d never had anyone give me a bear.”
Family, always there to witness new memories made. “I enjoy having a daughter; she’s been by my side.”
Memories of time spent serving his country, but most of all, Bob’s devotion to teaching for three decades.
“I wanted the kids to understand I was working with them, not against them.”
Now, memories that come and go, ever since his diagnosis with Alzheimer’s in 2023.
“He was getting confused about going places, issues driving,” Bob’s daughter, Ginny Funk, said.
With the Alzheimer’s Association since 1997, Ginny Funk watched as her mother lived and died with Alzheimer’s.
“I finally had to start being very honest with myself that some of those symptoms i was presenting about were happening with my mom.”
In 2013, Ginny dug herself out of denial and realized her mother, who’d jumped from airplanes as a kid and participated in the senior Olympics, had the disease.
“I had to do a lot of things with my brother to help get her to doctors’ appointments when she did not want to go.”
In 2019, Ginny’s mother would pass. Only for her father to develop the same struggle years later.
“Does that mean that I’m going to get it? That’s actually not something I focus on, other than making sure he’s okay and content and doing as well as possible every day, I’m thinking of all the other families who are on this journey and who are alone and don’t know about resources available.”
A reason for Ginny to continue her pursuit with the Alzheimer’s Association.
This weekend at the walk, she will be presented with a flower for her father.
“I can remember all these years of these walks I had the yellow flower for my mom, then when our family lost her, it became the purple flower, now it’s the yellow flower for my dad.”
A walk to remember and recognize Alzheimer’s touches more than the patient.
Because in that quiet space, memories will be relived, and sometimes released.
“You have to start facing it and getting things done.”