Public Service Knows No Limits – Dorothea Funk (BA 1976)

From serving as the first female Student Council President at Conrad Grebel University College to reporting for CBC Radio, and now representing Wells, British Columbia, as a councillor, Dorothea Funk (BA 1976) has served the public in various capacities across Canada. While she lived at Grebel, Dorothea was dedicated to making meaningful connections and giving back to the community, and those goals continue to shape her work today. 

Dorothea transferred to the University of Waterloo and lived in Grebel’s close-knit residence for a year and a half. “Grebel was tremendous as I experienced a world outside the confines of my home province of Saskatchewan,” she began. “It was both a social awakening, given Grebel’s diverse student population, and idea awakening as I completed my Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, which included Grebel courses taught by excellent professors.” 

She made a lasting impact in Grebel’s community by not only taking on a Student Council role, but by becoming the first female to fill the lead position. “I was honoured to be elected and to serve as Student Council President,” Dorothea said. Her interest in politics and social sciences, combined with her experience as a student leader at Grebel, encouraged her to further explore the political landscape, but not as soon as you might expect.

“The role of president wasn’t always easy, and for decades I said I wouldn't run for any kind of office again,” Dorothea noted. It was not until 2022, seven years after she took an early retirement, that she was elected as a municipal councillor in the District of Wells, BC. “When I saw the need and opportunity in my town to serve on council, I was drawn into elected office again. It still isn’t easy, to be honest, but it’s a way of giving back. I expect some of the values that were embedded in me at Grebel played a part.” 

In between completing her undergraduate studies in 1976 and working for the District of Wells City Council today, Dorothea explored other interests and advanced her education. She earned a Journalism Diploma from Conestoga College and a Master of Library and Information Science from the University of Toronto. These achievements led her to join the public service workforce, which aims to provide the public with high quality information so people have access to knowledge about events and opportunities in their communities and the rest of the world. 

Dorothea was drawn to community involvement in each of the towns and cities she has lived in across Canada. Her earlier career as a radio announcer and reporter spanned two organizations: Private Radio and CBC Radio, in Saskatchewan, the Northwest Territories, and British Columbia. She was a reference librarian and coordinator of the Local History Room at Saskatoon Public Library and a librarian at Wells Community Library. Dorothea was also the Director of Administration and Programming and Arts Organization Administrator at Island Mountain Arts, a multidisciplinary non-profit organization that provides resources and safe spaces for artists pursing visual arts, dance, and music.

“In looking back at my career and its different jobs, I think at some fundamental level, they’re geared to making people’s lives better by making a difference in their lives, even though they may not be aware of it, since sometimes I work behind the scenes,” she said. “Be it the provision of information and enlightenment (hopefully) from journalism and library work, the life enrichment from arts and culture, and on my local council, making the best decisions to improve the lives of those in my community.” 

“I became more aware and open-minded, and the idea of serving my community stuck with me, perhaps more than I realised,” she shared while reflecting on how Grebel shaped her identity and values. “Even though I didn’t remain in Ontario, some of the friendships forged there have endured through the decades since.” 

Her favourite memory of Grebel is a “toss-up between the late-night conversations around the dining tables or in the student lounges, and the crazy ‘pennying’ of the doors in the residence. Also, the impromptu dances in the residence halls, and in the guy's lounge, the regular ritual of watching Monty Python.” 

Outside of advocating for her constituents as a councillor, Dorothea spends her time renovating her 1930s mining town home, participating in community activities, and travelling to bucket list locations. She has visited Quebec City, Berlin, Leipzig, Poland, Northern Italy, Iceland, Newfoundland, San Fransico, and more! One of her past favourite hobbies was hiking trails near and far from her home in BC. In 2002, Dorothea co-wrote a book to share the history and beauty of the northwestern hiking trails in BC titled Hiking the Cariboo Goldfields with co-authors Garry Edwards and Ken Stoker. She also finds walking therapeutic and suggests doing so if you travel to a European city to have more fulfilling experience. 

Although Dorothea began her career in politics, then took a hiatus from it for decades, she still book-ended it by serving in her community’s elected office. Her life’s work shows that goals can be achieved in any stage of life and that interests can be explored anywhere in the world. 

Dorothea’s advice to current Grebel students is “to be open to new ideas and friendships and just enjoy! It’s a rare and special time of life; an awakening, that likely won’t be repeated.” 

By Zoey Pearce

Dorothea Funk served as Conrad Grebel University College’s first female Student Council President and graduated from the University of Waterloo in 1976 with a BA in Political Science. During Dorothea's time at Grebel, the importance of giving back to one’s community was embedded into her values and shaped her career trajectory across Canada. She earned a diploma in Journalism and a Master of Library and Information Science, as well as worked as a radio host, librarian, and non-profit arts society director. Dorothea now lives in Wells, BC, where she serves on her town council. 

Dorothea’s story is part of Grebel's 60 Stories for 60 Years project. Check out our 60 Stories page for more articles in this series.

*Hero image: Dorothea at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, DC, taken by Grebel alum Marie Burkholder

*Action image: Dorothea hanging a show for an exhibition of historic pictures at Saskatoon Public Library Local History Room