HARRISONBURG – RMH announced Oct. 12 the receipt of a $2 million dollar gift for its capital campaign, Building for a Second Century of Service.

The gift comes from the Fred O. Funkhouser Charitable Foundation.

“We are delighted to announce this gift from the Funkhouser Foundation,” said T. Carter Melton, CEO of RMH. “Fred and Virginia Funkhouser and the Funkhouser family have been great friends of RMH, and this important gift puts our capital campaign very close to its goal of $12.5 million.

“This gift is not only significant for the Capital Campaign, but it will be used to make a real difference in the lives and health of women in our community for generations to come since it will be used to build and equip the new women’s health center at the new RMH.”

Melton noted that the new women’s health center will house comprehensive programs in breast and heart health, designed for the special health needs of women. In addition, the Center will contain an osteoporosis screening program and a full spectrum of health resource materials for women, from educational materials and literature to programs and presentations.

He added, “I am really pleased to announce that we will name the new women’s health center The RMH-Funkhouser Women’s Health Center to honor the generous spirit, loving memory, and lifelong commitment to this community of Fred and Virginia Funkhouser. We also want to take this opportunity to thank the Board of Directors of the Funkhouser Foundation for their support of this gift, our campaign, and our community.”

Fred Funkhouser was a native of Harrisonburg and attended Harrisonburg High School, where he was captain of the football team in 1929 and president of the 1930 senior class. He attended Washington and Lee University for two years and the University of Richmond Law School for a year and a half.

Mr. Funkhouser was president of Harrisonburg Loan & Thrift, which eventually became Spotswood Bank and is now SunTrust. He was a dynamic business leader and was instrumental in building the business foundation in the central Shenandoah Valley. He provided financing to young businesses, such as Harrisonburg Fruit and Produce (now SYSCO) and Smith Trucking.

Virginia Coffelt Funkhouser was a native of Shenandoah County and graduated from the RMH School of Nursing in 1934. She and Fred were married in 1936, and she was a nurse at RMH for six years. The health sciences library at RMH is named in her honor, as will be the library at the new hospital, Melton noted.

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