Bob Funk Sr. Dies; Staffing, Ranching Pioneer Remembered

Robert A. Funk Sr., co-founder and executive chairman of Express Employment International, died at age 85 at his home, Express Ranches, in Yukon, Oklahoma. Alongside William H. Stoller, Funk transformed a bankrupt agency into Express Employment Professionals, now ranked the fourth-largest staffing firm in the U.S. and thirteenth-largest globally, with operations in North America, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. Funk was also a renowned cattleman, making Express Ranches the world's largest producer of registered Angus cattle. He received industry honors, including induction into the American Staffing Association, Staffing Industry Review, and International Franchise Association Halls of Fame, and served as chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. Funk supported numerous Oklahoma causes and organizations through philanthropy. Oklahoma leaders praised his significant impact on employment, rural development, and the Western heritage.