American aviator Wally Funk, who became the oldest woman ever to travel into space in 2021, died of natural causes at her home in Grapevine, Texas, on Wednesday at the age of 87.
Her death was announced on Thursday by a spokesperson for the city of Grapevine, where she lived. She died at home surrounded by family and friends.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Wally Funk,” Jeff Bezos wrote on X. Funk flew into space with Bezos in 2021 aboard a Blue Origin spacecraft, setting a world record at the age of 82 as the oldest woman ever to have made the journey.
Funk had long been regarded as a pioneer in aviation. She was the first woman to be appointed as an air safety investigator at the National Transportation Safety Board and the first female instructor at the Federal Aviation Administration.
In the 1960s, she also took part in a training programme for women astronauts. However, she was not selected for a mission at the time.
“Wally Funk’s unwavering determination shows that dreams do not have an expiry date,” said local elected official Duf O’Dell, a close friend of Funk. O’Dell added that her “groundbreaking achievements” had been a source of pride for the city of Grapevine.
