Wally Funk, a trailblazing aviation pioneer and veteran pilot, has died at the age of 87. She passed away peacefully Wednesday evening at her apartment in an assisted living facility in Grapevine, Texas. Her close friend and caregiver, city councilwoman Duff O’Dell, stated that recent falls and a leg infection had taken their toll.
In the early 1960s, Funk was one of 13 female pilots who underwent the same tests as NASA's all-male astronaut corps. Despite these qualifications, she was denied the opportunity to become a NASA astronaut at the time.
A veteran pilot and air safety investigator, Funk dreamed of space for six decades before finally realizing that goal as an octogenarian. In 2021, she was invited by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to join a Blue Origin rocket flight, making history as the oldest woman to travel into space.