In today’s Beef Buzz, Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays spoke with Mark McCully, CEO of the American Angus Association. Cattle producers and industry leaders came from around the country to attend the Celebration of Life Memorial Service for Bob Funk, Sr., on Monday. One of those was Mark McCully, CEO of the American Angus Association, who reflected on the legacy of Bob Funk Sr., founder of Express Ranches and a prominent figure in the cattle industry. “It’s been just such an incredible legacy that we celebrated today,” McCully said. He recalled meeting Funk more than 30 years ago while judging limousine shows, sharing he “had the opportunity to meet Bob then, take some judging teams to his workout back when they used to host that workout.” McCully emphasized Funk’s broad influence, stating, “The number of tributes we heard today about how he’s reached and impacted the lives of folks all over the world.”
Express Ranches earned high praise from McCully for their far-reaching impact across the Angus breed. “Express Ranches have really had such a huge swath in the Angus breed,” he noted. McCully admired their multifaceted success: “They’ve had a focus on the commercial bull market played at the most elite level with the select breeding females and also been super competitive” in the show ring. He credited Funk and the late jarold Callahan for building a program that achieved excellence across all fronts.
The legacy of Express Ranches extended beyond business performance—it reflected Funk’s deep commitment to people. “He was so passionate about people,” McCully said. “He saw talent and he saw ability and he saw heart and commitment in people that he invested in.” He described Funk’s unique ability “to lift people up and inspire people and to resource them,” calling it one of Funk’s most powerful qualities and a key part of his enduring legacy.
Funk also played a major role in establishing important cattle events in Oklahoma, including the Cattlemen’s Congress. “He wasn’t just a guy that said, hey, we need to do this,” McCully stated. “He put his resources behind it, his commitment behind these things to make it happen for the benefit of betterment of so many.” McCully acknowledged Funk’s forward-thinking vision and follow-through, especially in how he helped transform events like the Oklahoma Youth Expo.
Finally, McCully praised Funk’s extensive philanthropic contributions to youth in agriculture. “Their scholarship program alone… it’s millions I know, of dollars that they have given back to youth,” he remarked. Through education funding and foundational support, Funk “enabled young folks to pursue an education and to go on and do great things.” According to McCully, that kind of generosity and investment in future generations is “nearly unmatched” and an enduring part of what made Bob Funk Sr. a beloved and respected figure in the cattle industry.
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR for today’s show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
