On July 20, 2021, at age 82, Wally Funk flew on Blue Origin’s New Shepard spacecraft to become the oldest person to travel into space at that time. This flight marked a milestone for the aviator, who had spent decades pushing boundaries in fields where women were frequently excluded or denied professional opportunities based on their gender.
Early Interest in Aviation
Born on February 1, 1939, in Las Vegas, New Mexico, Mary Wallace Funk grew up in Taos. Her childhood was defined by a mechanical aptitude and an early fascination with flight. By the age of nine, she had completed her first flying lesson. Beyond aviation, she was a skilled outdoorswoman and an expert marksman, receiving the Distinguished Rifleman's Award and recognition from President Dwight Eisenhower.
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Frustrated by high school curricula that limited female students, Funk left early at 16 to attend Stephens College in Missouri. She graduated in 1958 with a pilot's license and an Associate of Arts degree. She later earned a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education at Oklahoma State University, where she participated in the Flying Aggies program. During this period, she secured numerous aviation ratings, including commercial, instrument, and flight instructor certificates, while winning multiple piloting trophies.
Professional Barriers and Milestones
At age 20, Funk became a professional aviator, serving as the first female civilian flight instructor at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Despite her qualifications, she faced systemic rejection from commercial airlines. In 1971, she joined the FAA, eventually becoming the first woman to hold various specialist and examiner roles. In 1974, she began an 11-year tenure at the National Transportation Safety Board as its first female air safety investigator, where she analyzed hundreds of accidents.
The Mercury 13 and Legacy
In 1961, Funk volunteered for the Women in Space program led by William Randolph Lovelace. As the youngest of the 13 graduates of this unofficial program, known as the Mercury 13, she remained a persistent advocate for spaceflight. Following her retirement from accident investigation in 1985, she served as a flight instructor, mentoring over 700 students. She died on July 8, 2026, in Grapevine, Texas.
Fast facts
- Born: 1939, Las Vegas, New Mexico
- Died: 2026, Grapevine, Texas
- Member: Mercury 13
- Education: Stephens College, Oklahoma State University
- Notable Role: First female Air Safety Investigator for the NTSB
- Space Flight: July 20, 2021, via Blue Origin New Shepard
- Languages: English
Questions readers ask
Was Wally Funk the first woman to go to space?
No, she was the only member of the Mercury 13 group to travel into space, but she was not the first woman globally to do so.
How many accident investigations did she conduct at the NTSB?
During her 11-year tenure as an air safety investigator, Funk investigated 450 accidents.
Achievements
- Educated at Stephens College and Oklahoma State University
- Worked as aircraft pilot, inspector and flight instructor
