Eric was born in Medford, Ore. He went to Kindergarten at Lone Pine Elementary there, then grades 1-3 at Richardson Elem. in Central Point, OR. He then moved with his family to Yreka, Calif., where he graduated from high school in 1988. After a year at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Wash., he joined the Army and trained as a helicopter pilot at Fort Rucker, Ala.

Warrant Officer Funderburg was assigned as a US Army UH-1H helicopter pilot with 1st Platoon, Company B, 4th Battalion, 228th Aviation Regiment, at Soto Cano Airbase in Honduras in 1990. His platoon was on rotation and forward deployed in El Salvador in support of the US Military Advisory Group.

On Feb. 25, 1991, WO1 Funderburg was the copilot of the trailing helicopter in a flight of 2 aircraft from San Salvador on a routine support mission to visit military advisors in the eastern part of the country. Shortly after departing from Ilopango Airbase, his helicopter experienced a tail rotor driveshaft malfunction, resulting in the loss of aircraft control and crashing into Lake Ilopango, a deep volcanic lake to the southeast of the airbase. All five Soldiers onboard died in the impact.

Killed with WO1 Funderburg was pilot in command Chief Warrant Officer 2 Paul Timmer and crew chief Sergeant David Coleman from Company B, attached door gunner Specialist Marvin Simpson from the 193rd Infantry Brigade in Panama, and Sergeant First Class Juan Guerra-Llopiz, the supply sergeant for the U.S. Military Advisory Group.

From March 11 to 28, 1991, a joint US Navy-Army team conducted a recovery of the crew and the aircraft. Four of the Soldiers were recovered from inside the helicopter at the lake crash site by a tethered remote controlled submersible drone. However, SGT Coleman’s body could not be located and he remains missing in action.

The Army in 1996 awarded posthumously the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal to all five Soldiers for their service in El Salvador.

He was a loving son and brother, loved by all his friends and will be missed forever. His smile was magic, his love unconditional.

Fallen with WO1 Funderburg:
SGT David McAuthor Coleman
SFC Juan L. Guerra-Llopiz
SPC Marvin Todd Simpson
CW2 Paul Stephen Timmer Jr.

Update by his unit commander in 2024.