Dr. Toni Funicella, a native Texan, earned her BA in Zoology from The University of Texas in 1968. During her time at the university, she was a member of Alpha Epsilon Delta, a premedical student society, and actively volunteered at a free medical clinic for homeless teens in Austin. She was also an avid supporter of the university’s football and baseball teams.

While attending the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) School of Medicine, Dr. Funicella was selected as one of 20 Student American Medical Association members nationwide to participate in a two-month program in Washington, DC, focused on the concepts of group medical practices.

In 1972, Dr. Funicella graduated from the UTMB School of Medicine as one of only nine women in a class of 169. Shortly after, she and her husband, Dr. John Craig, moved to Houston, where she began a rotating internship at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), working at Jeff Davis Maternity Hospital, Ben Taub, and the Houston VA Hospital. Meanwhile, John joined the Ophthalmology faculty at BCM. After completing her internship, Dr. Funicella relocated to San Antonio, where John was on active duty with the Army. She continued practicing medicine at Ft. Sam Houston, providing care to active-duty families and retired military members. A significant moment in her early career was diagnosing a young woman with pheochromocytoma—a rare condition that had been overlooked by others—after the patient experienced a hypertensive crisis during childbirth in Hawaii. She credits her training at UTMB for equipping her with the clinical skills necessary to make this life-saving diagnosis.

In 1975, Dr. Funicella returned to Houston to begin an Internal Medicine residency, followed by a chief residency year and a Hematology fellowship. She then joined the faculty at UT Houston Medical School, where she served as the Introduction to Clinical Medicine director for second-year students and was elected to the Faculty Senate.

When the entire Hematology division relocated to Boston in 1980, Dr. Funicella shifted her career path and pursued a second residency — this time in Dermatology — at Baylor College of Medicine.

In 1983, Drs. Funicella and Craig settled in John’s hometown of Austin, where she established a solo private practice specializing in medical dermatology, which she maintained for 35 years. Beyond patient care, she co-founded a clinical dermatology research company, later selling it in the early 2000s. She also served as President of the Austin Dermatology Society, held leadership positions in the Texas Dermatology Society, and contributed to the Brackenridge training program before the establishment of Dell Medical School. Outside of medicine, she coached youth soccer and baseball and served as president of Pease PTA, Texas’s oldest public school.

Dr. Funicella has remained deeply involved with UTMB, serving as a past Development Board member, President’s Cabinet member, and scholarship sponsor. She co-chaired a $5 million fundraising campaign for the Dr. Truman Blocker Scholars Endowment alongside Dr. Courtney Townsend. Notably, she made history as the first female President of the School of Medicine Alumni Association in its 70+ years.

Now retired, Drs. Funicella and Craig reside on their farm in Brenham, TX, where she enjoys gardening and riding her Toro zero-turn mower. They have two children, one of whom is also a UTMB graduate, and are proud grandparents to two grandsons.