Biography

Noah was born 13 Oct 1951 in Pell City, AL at the Martin Clinic.. His parents were James Thomas Funderburg, Sr and Edith Mae Avery.

Noah had four siblings, one, Betty Jane Funderburg, is deceased. There also is an older brother, and two younger sisters.

Noah grew up mostly in Birmingham, AL after about age 4-5. Prior to that his family lived in Pell City, Brookwood, and Tuscaloosa, AL. He attended Barrett Elementary School and Woodlawn High School.

Noah began college at The University of Alabama but transferred at the end of his freshman year to attend Auburn University, from which he graduated in 1974 with a B.A. in Political Science with a pre-law major and history minor. Noah lived one year in War Eagle Apartments and then lived his last two years in Auburn in Barron's Trailer Park on Wire Road, lot #93. His roommate was from Huntsville, AL. Noah graduated at the end of the winter quarter 1974 in Auburn and then worked until he began law school.

Noah attended The University of Alabama School of Law and graduated in 1977. His first employment after law school was with Alabama Legal Services System, (ALSS) a legal aid office funded by the Alabama Law School with eleven offices providing services across Alabama. Noah began as a staff attorney but later was promoted to managing attorney. In 1979, Noah left his position with ALSS and entered private practice with two lawyers Noah had met at ALSS. Noah remained in private practice until the firm dissolved in 1980 and Noah took a staff attorney position with the Legal Services Corporation of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Noah and his future wife, Mary, met while both worked with Legal Services Corporation. Unfortunately for Noah, funding cutbacks reduced the number of staff positions at Legal Services, so Noah accepted a buyout. A few months later he began work with the law school's legal aid program again, which now was called simply the Clinical Program. The Clinical Program no longer offered statewide services and focused more attention on mentoring third-year law students in representing low-income clients. Noah began as a staff attorney, eventually was promoted to Associate Director, and after the Director was given additional duties Noah became the overall Director of day-to-day operations. In the fall of 1994 Noah was offered the position of Assistant Dean of Administration, was later promoted to Sr Assistant Dean and eventually Associate Dean of Administration, the title he held upon his retirement in May 2015. For six months in 1984, Noah served as a Special Assistant United States Attorney in the Civil Division in the Northern District of Alabama. Throughout his legal career, Noah handled a lot of family law cases. He was a founding member of the Family Law Section of the Alabama State Bar, and was President of the Section in 2001-2002. Noah and Mary moved to Fairhope, AL in December 2014 and as of July 2022 still reside there.

Noah always enjoyed singing. He participated in choirs at Ruhama Baptist Church in East Lake, Birmingham, AL, and particularly enjoyed two years in the youth choir under the direction of John Atherton. At the beginning of each summer, the youth choir made choir tours. In the summer of 1969, the choir toured Texas and Louisiana. In 1970, the choir went to the NW corner of Arkansas and taught Bible school in small churches during the day, and gave performances in the evening. In high school, Noah was a member of the Cavaliers male chorus in 1968-69 and the Warblers, the premier male chorus at Woodlawn High School, 1969-70. Noah sang the lead or second tenor part. In the spring of 1969, the Warblers gave a performance called a Hobo Show and Noah served as the stage manager. In the spring of 1970, the Warblers also had a show, entitled the Last Hobo Show. The shows were similar to minstrel shows and in the past the chorus members used blackface. For the Hobo Shows, the makeup was changed to brown color to mimic dirt but was still somewhat controversial.

Noah married Mary Ruth Fuller Whisenhunt in 1981. ^[1]

Noah's wife, Mary, had two children from a previous marriage. Later during their marriage, Noah and Mary adopted a former foster child. Noah thus had a stepson, stepdaughter, and an adopted daughter. As of December 2021, Noah has five grandchildren and two step-grandchildren. As of 2024 he also has two great-grandsons and one great-granddaughter.

Noah's love for music took an interesting path in 1982 when Noah joined the local chapter of the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America, Inc. commonly referred to as SPEBSQSA. The local chorus called themselves the Heartland Harmonizers. In later years, after a brief stint of combining with a Birmingham chapter, the Tuscaloosa chapter changed its name to the Crimson Pride Chorus. The name was suggested by Noah, which was funny to other chapter members who knew Noah was a big Auburn University fan. Noah accepted several chapter leadership positions - Treasurer, Program Vice-President, and President. At the request of his good friend Bobby Wooldridge, Noah accepted a position on the Dixie District Association of Chapters of SPEBSQSA. Noah served as an Area Counselor, Laws and Regulations Chairperson, Membership Chairperson, Executive Vice-President, and President. Later, Noah also served as Dixie District Secretary. Noah's service at the District level also led to service on the Society Laws and Regulations Committee (later renamed Governance and Bylaws Committee) and the Society Ethics Committee, both as a member and eventually as chair of both committees. Noah was elected as a Board-member-at-large to the SPEBSQSA Board in 2004. He later served as Executive Vice-President and was President of the Society (which now is known as the Barbershop Harmony Society) from 2007-2008. He then served as Past President for 2009-2010. Noah continued to serve the Society as chair of the Governance and Bylaws Committee until 2017. Noah remains a member of the Tuscaloosa Chapter and the Society. Noah also was active in the Rotary Clib of Point Clear helping to lead several fundraisers, participating in serving meals after natural disasters, and serving as club secretary and president. ^[2]

Sources

1. ↑ "Alabama County Marriages, 1809-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QG1D-92RT : 19 February 2021), Joseph Noah Funderburg and Mary Ruth Fuller Whisenhunt, 25 Jul 1981; citing Montgomery, Alabama, United States, County Probate Courts, Alabama; FHL microfilm 1,893,803.
2. ↑ Personal knowledge of Noah Funderburg January 2022