American aviation pioneer Wally Funk, the woman who made history after realizing her dream of traveling to space at the age of 82, has died at the age of 87. The news was confirmed by authorities in the city of Grapevine, Texas.

Mary Wallace “Wally” Funk died Wednesday at her home, surrounded by family. According to the official announcement, she died of natural causes. The private space company Blue Origin, owned by Jeff Bezos, expressed condolences for her loss. In 2021, Wally Funk became the oldest woman to ever travel to space when she participated in the suborbital flight of Blue Origin’s New Shepard spacecraft.

Her aviation career was filled with accomplishments. She was the first woman to serve as an aircraft safety inspector for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), as well as the first female instructor for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

In the 1960s, Funk successfully completed the training program for female astronauts, but, despite her excellent results, she was never given the opportunity to fly on a NASA mission.

Her friend and Grapevine City Council member Duff O'Dell remembered Wally Funk as a woman of "unwavering determination," noting that her life proved that "dreams have no expiration date." With her historic spaceflight, Wally Funk became a symbol of perseverance and an inspiration to generations of women who dream of pursuing careers in aviation and space exploration.

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Wally Funk.

Wally was a pioneer in every sense of the word. In her 20s, she was the first female civilian flight instructor at a US military base. She became the youngest of the Mercury 13, outperforming nearly every test put in front... pic.twitter.com/XIDWFXSfaq

- Blue Origin (@blueorigin) July 9, 2026