Shelby About Town

Talk of royal weddings, Yao Ming and Billy Gibbons stir the spring break socialstew

Yao Ming and wife Ye Li, pictured here at a Tux and Tennies gala, were spottedlunching at Ouisie's.

Photo by Patrick Peñas for LastNightPics.com
Prince Jean de France, Duc de Vendome and Princess Philomena on their weddingday in France.

Photo by David Niviere
French mezzo-soprano Marie Lenormand will perform at the Royal Weddingsluncheon.
Princess Philomena and Prince Jean with their son Gaston

So you didn't win the Today show's trip to London for the royal wedding. No worries. Joanne King Herring is bringing us a close look at royal weddings next month when HRH Prince Jean de France, Duc de Vendome, addresses a very fancy luncheon crowd on the subject.

In the line of succession to the French throne (were there one), HRH will share his wisdom on royal weddings in French history and his close relationship to royal weddings of the modern day — in Great Britain, Monaco and France.

The prince will be guest speaker at the "Royal Weddings — Then and Now" luncheon April 26 at the Hilton Americas-Houston where proceeds will benefit Joanne's Marshall Plan Charities for Afghanistan.

If the serious-minded mission of bringing U.S. troops home from the war in Afghanistan seems a bit out of sync with the frothiness of royal weddings, never mind. It has never been Joanne's way to follow an expected path in achieving her many goals. Money will be raised and it will be directed to creating a model village in Afghanistan.

Taking up the cause as chair of the luncheon, for which everyone is encouraged to wear white and white chapeaus, are Connie Reeves Cooke. Donna and Robert Bruni will serve as honorary chairs and Margaret Williams as honoree.

Adding to the festive affair, for which party designer Darryl Murchison promises a vision in white, will be a performance by French mezzo-soprano Marie Lenormand, currently performing in Houston Grand Opera's The Marriage of Figaro.

A host of parties for big table buyers are surrounding the prince's visit, with various hosts including Susan Krohn, Diane Lokey Farb and Paige and Tilman Fertitta.

Details: Connie Reeves Cooke at 713-626-0570 or conniecooke@sbcglobal.net.

Birthday boys

That would be Pices pals KC Gifford and Stuart Rosenberg, who celebrated their birthdays with a slew of friends in Midtown, landing first at the Community Bar and then at the sleek 5th Amendment. The partying throng, favoring bottle service over blowing out candles, included James Sivco, Jessica Phifer, Jeff Gremillion, Jody Schmal, Claudia Solis, Caroline and Jared LeBlanc, James Glassman, Edward Sanchez, David Cordua and Farrah Akhtar.

A heartfelt gathering

The evening was originally billed as a reception for Houston-based HEART (Housing, Entrepreneurship and Readiness Training) at the River Oaks home of British General Paul Lynch. And while the organization that provides occupational training for low-income/developmentally-challenged individuals has indeed a worthy mission, the conversation tended to the earthquake/tsunami tragedy inJapan, the homeland of Lynch's wife, Yoko.

The gathering served to announce the HEART benefit luncheon scheduled for May 17. The Lynches have a son with cerebral palsy and are therefore keenly interested in the non-profit's work. Joining in the evening were Karen and Byron Hood, Jane Cummins, Bob Borochoff, Bill King, Don Hooper and Rachel Palmer, City Councilman Steve Costello, David Arpin, Eric Andell, Joe Nelson and Honorary Consul of Cameroon Charles Greene.

Sight 'ems

Houston Rocket Yao Ming and wife Ye Li lunching with another couple at Ouisie's where the gentle giant enjoyed Ceasar Salad with crabmeat and his wife had a crab Cobb salad. The table shared dessert of lemon ice box pie and Tres Leches . . .

Billy Gibbons lunching in the bar at Tony's where he was joined by friends and where he kept his laptop handy.

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RIP, Wally

Texan Wally Funk, oldest woman to travel into space, dies at 87

Wally Funk aboard Blue Origin New Shepard

Photo courtesy of Blue Origin

The 82-year-old Wally Funk became the oldest person to go to space on July 20, 2021.

GRAPEVINE, Texas (AP) — Wally Funk, an aviation pioneer who was the oldest woman to launch into space, has died. She was 87.

Funk died Wednesday, July 8 at her apartment in an assisted living facility in Grapevine, Grapevine City Councilwoman Duff O'Dell said Thursday. O'Dell, who described herself as Funk's caregiver, said she was by Funk's side. Funk had fallen a couple of times recently and had an infection in her leg.

“It took its toll,” O'Dell said in a phone interview.

Wally Funk became a hometown hero in Grapevine. Facebook/Wally Funk's Space for Race

Funk was one of 13 female pilots who went through the same tests as NASA’s all-male astronaut corps in the early 1960s but never made it into space. In 2021, she got her chance aboard Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin rocket. At the time, the 82-year-old was the oldest person to go into space, though the record was later broken by “Star Trek” actor William Shatner and Ed Dwight, America’s first Black astronaut candidate. They were both 90.

Bezos chose Funk as an “honored guest” to ride alongside him and two others on an up-and-down hop from West Texas aboard his Blue Origin rocket.

In interviews after the 11-minute flight, Funk enthusiastically told reporters, "I loved every minute of it. I just wish it had been longer.”

Wally Funk in her '20s as a flight instructor. Facebook/Wally Funk's Space for Race

She became a hometown hero when she returned home to Dallas-Fort Worth; the city of Grapevine threw a parade for her history-making experience.

“Wally Funk never stopped believing that one day she would reach space. Her passion for flight, perseverance, and love of exploration will continue to inspire generations of Americans. Godspeed, Wally,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman posted Thursday on X.

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This story contains material from CultureMap story archives.

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