Grapevine resident Wally Funk, a trailblazing aviator who became the oldest woman to fly in space at age 82, has died at 87.
Funk passed away Wednesday at her home in the Dallas-Fort Worth suburb, according to the City of Grapevine. She was remembered as a lifelong advocate for women in aviation and a symbol of perseverance.
Born Mary Wallace Funk on Feb. 1, 1939, in Las Vegas, New Mexico, she developed a passion for flying early in life. In the early 1960s, Funk was one of the Mercury 13 — a group of women who underwent the same rigorous astronaut testing as the original Mercury 7 men but were ultimately excluded from NASA’s space program due to their gender. She was the last surviving member of that group.
Despite the setback, Funk logged more than 18,600 flight hours and became the first female air safety investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board, the first female civilian flight instructor at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and the first female Federal Aviation Administration inspector.
Her dream of spaceflight was realized on July 20, 2021, when she flew aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket alongside Jeff Bezos and others, crossing the Kármán line at age 82 and setting a record.
Funk lived in Grapevine for decades and remained active in the aviation community, inspiring generations with her story of determination. The city celebrated her historic flight and contributions to breaking barriers for women.
Her passing marks the end of an era for one of aviation’s most determined pioneers.
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