‘We owe her a debt of gratitude': Loved ones remember pioneering aviator Wally Funk

From KERA News: Loved ones and members of the public gathered Sept. 1 at a Southlake church to celebrate Wally Funk's life and achievements. She died at age 87 in her Grapevine home earlier this summer. Funk emerged as a late-life celebrity at 82 years old, when in 2021 she became the oldest person to go to space. Her lifelong dream of becoming an astronaut came true when she was selected for a flight with Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos' private space company. But Funk's aviation achievements began long before her best-known flight. She became a licensed pilot in her teenage years and a professional aviator not long after.