Wally Funk, recognized as the oldest woman to travel to space, has passed away at the age of 87. According to her friend and Grapevine city counselor, Duff O’Dell, Funk passed away at her apartment within a senior center in Grapevine, Texas. Funk had a distinguished career as an aviation pioneer.
Her journey to space occurred in 2021 when she flew aboard a Blue Origin rocket alongside Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. At the time of this flight, she held the record for the oldest person in space. This record was later surpassed by William Shatner of Star Trek and Ed Dwight, who was the first Black American astronaut candidate.
Both Shatner and Dwight were 90 years old during their respective spaceflights. Funk’s pioneering efforts in aviation began much earlier. During the 1960s, she was part of a group of 13 female pilots, known as Mercury 13.
These individuals underwent rigorous testing protocols comparable to those required by the Air Force. Her contributions highlight a long history of involvement in aerospace endeavors, making her a notable figure in the history of both aviation and human space exploration.
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