Wally Funk had a grounbdreaking aviation and astronautical career. She passed away in Grapevine, Texas on July 8.
Mary Wallace “Wally” Funk was 87 years old when she died peacefully at her home in Grapevine, Texas on July 8. She was a pioneering aviator who spent her life breaking through the glass ceiling to establish the career of her dreams.
Born on February 1, 1939, Wally achieved numerous aviation and astronautical accomplishments over the course of seven decades. When announcing her death, Grapevine City Councilwoman Duff O’Dell praised Wally for her devotion and character.
“Wally Funk’s unwavering determination proves that dreams have no expiration date. Her courage, resilience and groundbreaking achievements continue to inspire young people – especially girls – to pursue careers in science, aviation, and space exploration. Grapevine is honored to call Wally Funk one of our own,” O’Dell said.
One of those groundbreaking achievements was Wally’s inclusion in NASA’s “Women in Space Program,” where she and other First Lady Astronaut Trainees took part in the Mercury 13 initiative. From 1959-1960, Wally and 12 other women completed intensive psychological and physical testing administered by NASA—all of which were standard program procedures for the Mercury 7 astronauts.
Wally was one of the top performers, earning scores that were higher than many male astronauts on numerous tests. Speaking of her desire to join the program, the New Mexico native said, “I got a hold of NASA four times, and said ‘I want to become an astronaut,’ but nobody would take me.”
She went on to say, “I didn’t think I would ever get to go up. Nothing has ever gotten in my way. They say, ‘Wally, you’re a girl, you can’t do that.’ I said, ‘Guess what, doesn’t matter what you are, you can still do it if you want to do it,’ and I like to do things that nobody’s ever done before.”
Despite her obvious knowledge, ambition, capability, and talent, Wally was ultimately unable to become a NASA astronaut, as women weren’t allowed to hold the position at that time. That didn’t stop her from pursuing a career in aviation though, and it certainly didn’t stop her from getting to space.
She had a groundbreaking aviation career
Wally Funk went on to become the first female flight instructor at Oklahoma’s Fort Sill, where she would eventually log over 30,000 hours of flight time and train upwards of 3,000 pilots. She ticked two more firsts off her list when she became the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) first female inspector and the National Transportation Safety Board’s first female air safety investigator.
In 2021, Wally said in a promotional Blue Origin video, “Everything the FAA has, I’ve got the license for. And I can outrun you.” As further proof of her ability to outrun the competition, she finally achieved her dream of going to space in July of that year when she was 82 years old.
Wally was a crew member on Blue Origin’s New Shepard NS-16 mission and became the oldest woman in history to travel to space, which earned her a Guinness World Record. She was also the only First Lady Astronaut Trainee of Mercury 13’s program to reach that cosmic frontier.
Wally was officially inducted into the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame in 2024, and she was also inducted into the Mercury 13 Hall of Fame, as well as the Women in Aviation International Pioneer Hall of Fame. She’ll receive a posthumous induction into the New Mexico Museum of Space History’s International Space Hall of Fame.
Upon hearing news of her death, Jared Isaacman, a NASA Administrator, wrote on social media, “Wally Funk never stopped believing that one day she would reach space. Her passion for flight, perseverance, and love of exploration will continue to inspire generations of Americans. Godspeed, Wally.”
And, in a summary befitting the aviation giant, the City of Grapevine’s official release announcing her death reads, “Wally was a beloved Grapevine resident whose extraordinary accomplishments and generous spirit left an enduring legacy. The City of Grapevine proudly recognizes Wally Funk, whose extraordinary career has inspired generations by breaking barriers in aviation and space exploration. Funk continues to serve as a global symbol of determination, perseverance, and excellence.”
