FUNK, Albert

The Arizona Republic, Phoenix, Arizona Friday, January 10, 2003 Albert Funk, local greyhound and horse racing entrepreneur and swap meet developer, passed away on December 11, 2002 at Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, Calif. He was 73. Born May 15, 1929 in Phoenix, Albert and his father David are remembered for opening Caliente, the first combination racetrack in North America. He was involved in Arizona race tracks throughout his life. Funk served as secretary of the Western Racing Association for 19 years. He is survived by two sons, Stephen Funk of San Diego and Cleve Funk of Las Vegas; two daughters, Cindy Haddick of Phoenix; and Jodi Ward of Scottsdale, Az.; two brothers, David J. Funk and Richard Funk, both of San Diego; a sister Charlotte Kobey Morton of La Jolla, Calif.; five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Courtesy of Pat Wilson. ----------------------------------- Source Unknown Former Prescott Downs President Albert Funk Dies Updated: Monday, December 16, 2002 11:04 AM Posted: Friday, December 13, 2002 7:24 PM Albert Funk, 73, a former president of Prescott Downs, died Tuesday at Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, Calif., following a brief illness. Funk, who lived in Las Vegas, and his father, David Funk, opened Caliente Race Track in Tijuana, the first horse-dog racing facility in North America, in 1947. He also served as vice president of Las Vegas Downs, a greyhound track that opened amid much fanfare in 1981. Funk hoped to also open the track to horse racing, but the track failed, permanently closing after two seasons of dog racing. He started in greyhound racing in 1929 at his family's Phoenix Greyhound Park and worked with several dog racing facilities in Arizona. In 1967, he was became secretary of Prescott Downs, a Thoroughbred facility, and in 1970 was named the track's president.