Wally Funk, the aviation pioneer and longtime Grapevine resident whose path to space stretched from early astronaut testing to a 2021 Blue Origin flight, died July 8 at age 87, according to the Associated Press.
AP reported that Funk died in Grapevine, citing her caregiver, Duff O’Dell. KERA also reported that Grapevine announced the death of its longtime resident and aviation pioneer.
A path delayed, not ended
Funk was one of 13 women who completed astronaut-style testing in the early 1960s, AP reported. The women were excluded from NASA’s astronaut corps, which was then open only to men.
Her own trip to space came decades later. Funk flew aboard a Blue Origin mission in 2021 at age 82.
Together, the reports connect a landmark aviation career to Grapevine: Funk lived in the city for years, died there and was recognized by the city after her death. Her story also carried a sharp historical contrast—she completed the early testing but was denied entry to the astronaut corps, then ultimately reached space at 82.
