A Tribute to Our Dear Friend, Frank Funaro
When we learned of the passing of our dear friend and colleague, Frank Funaro, we felt as if we’d lost the heart and soul of Rx4good. Frank left this world on Thursday afternoon, February 19, after two years of weekly treks to MSKCC in New York for rigorous cancer treatments; he was 68 years old. It feels impossible to imagine our work, our lives, our world, without him. To us, he always will be Dearest Frank, with a capital D.
At Rx4good, we set out to build a more human, truly patient-centered firm and Frank was living proof of what that could look like in practice. He showed up for colleagues and clients as his best self, softening sharp edges with thoughtful words, and making humor our final destination in almost every gathering. On countless road trips to client meetings, we told our Rx4good story to anyone who would listen, and it was Frank’s warmth, humility, and lightness that made people lean in.
Over the past 13 years, Frank was the colleague we called for a gut check, a creative idea, the perfect headline, or when you just needed a calm and steady shoulder. He reminded us that work is important, but being human with each other is more so.
We relied on Frank as the connoisseur of great restaurants in every city across America. He always came through. And dining with him was as delicious as the meal! Frank was a keen observer of human nature, with ready commentary on everything from big world events to the daily drama at his local coffee shop. Politics inevitably came up because that was his passion, fueled by a deep belief in human dignity and human rights. Truth be told, he was banned from Twitter once or twice for skewering a few blowhards online. Of course, Frank loved that. In his view, he was just being a gleeful troll, with the angels on his side.
Frank wished very much to live to see the midterm elections. Long before cancer, he had an intolerance for toxic politicians, paired with an eternally optimistic spirit and a deep belief that when good people come together, we can make the world better. We are sure that wherever he is in the universe, he is enlisting collaborators to pull some Frank-like strings and win this next fight.
We love you Frank, and will always carry you in our hearts.
