Shelby About Town

ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons hangs at Texans, a local bestselling author overcomes aheart attack and serious tea time

Virginia Resiman, from left, Connie Reeves Cooke, Clayton Cooke and Susan Krohnat Connie's book signing party.

Photo by Kim Coffman
Brad Bucher, from left, Kelli Blanton and Jesus Morolos
Jonathon Glus, from left, Philamena Baird, Robert Lynch, Leslie Blanton andBobby Tudor
Jeanie Kilroy, from left, Linda McReynolds and Merritt Marinelli at theSalvation Army Women's Auxiliary membership tea.

Photo by Kim Coffman
Lilly Andress, from left, Rhonda Jones and Mary Maxey at the Salvation ArmyWomen's Auxiliary tea.

Photo by Kim Coffman

Connie Reeves Cooke's latest page-turner, Cayman Heat, has become a hometown best seller even before hitting the major book leagues. All 100 copies of her thriller, offered at her recent book signing, were sold within two hours.

Susan Krohn and Patrick Gehm hosted the festive cocktail party at their River Oaks home where 100 fans gathered in support of the author. A portion of sales from the book are earmarked for the Knowledge Arts Foundation, founded by Krohn and Mary Yenik. In fact, Cooke and Virginia Reisman will chair the Knowledge Arts Foundation Picnic in the Park on Oct. 25.

Cooke had been scheduled to attend the Los Angeles launch party for Cayman Heat, as well as the Emmy Awards the next night, to publicize the book, but an out-of-the-blue heart attack sidelined her, forcing her to cancel the trip. The good news is Cooke is happily, healthily on the mend and plans on attending the Golden Globes in January.

Social bookworms included Clayton Cooke, Joanne King Herring, Cathy Cagle, Danielle and John Ellis, Phyllis Williams, Jan Carson, Virginia Reisman, Jeanne Sims, Donna Vallone, Sandy Barrett, Carol Sawyer and Julie Brown.

Arts surveys celebrated

There couldn't have been better news for Houston arts groups than that found in the surveys released this week that reveal a broad community endorsement of the arts and calculate the economic benefits from the city's cultural component. So it was fitting that the mood was celebratory at the Houston Arts Alliance reception at the home of Leslie and Jack Blanton Jr.

The reception honored Robert Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts, who was in town from Washington D.C. to give the keynote address to the Greater Houston Partnership's Business of the Arts Luncheon.

Among the 70 guests at the Blanton home were representatives from arts organizations across the state as well as HAA CEO Jonathan Glus, Marc Melcher, Philamena Baird, Peggy and Stephen Klineberg, Minnette and Peter Boesel, Brad Bucher, Lori and Scott Wulfe and Maribel and George Farish.

Tea time in River Oaks

Jeanie Kilroy's River Oaks home overflowed with new toys earlier this week when scores of Salvation Army Women's Auxiliary members arrived with playthings in hand for the auxiliary's Angel Tree Christmas Project. The occasion was the auxiliary's annual membership tea, chaired by Linda McReynolds and daughter Merritt Marinelli.

The Salvation Army's Harbor Light Choir performed, City Kitchen served the tea and taste treats and auxiliary president Mary Maxey welcomed guests. Carrying in the toys were Lilly Andress, Elise Joseph, Lynn Wyatt, Brenda DeVore, Billie Selke, Evelyn Howell, Joanne King Herring and Dorothy Nicholson.

Meet-and-greet with Jack Cagle

Just ask Cindy Clifford and you shall receive. Harris County Commissioner Jack Cagle knows first hand the power of this woman to round up a serious group of politicos and she did just that for him with a powerhouse lunch on Wednesday at Reef.

Cagle and Clifford took over the private room at the popular Midtown eatery to host a crush of 50 influencers. Among them were City Controller Ron Green, State Rep. Carol Alvarado, National Reliable Lending's CEO Lee Lahourcade, former U.S. Rep. Craig Washington, City Council members Jerry Davis and C.O. "Brad" Bradford, Amegy Bank's John Hernandez, Fulbright & Jaworski senior partner Neil Thomas and Jason Fuller, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's regional director.

Sight 'ems

Interior decorator Adair Gockley and Liz Decker lunching at Tony's where they ran into ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons (Adair's eighth grade boyfriend). They compared notes on Lee High School's anniversary reunion in October where he'll be honored as an outstanding alumnus . . .

Gibbons hanging out at the Houston Texans Grille where he had lunch and did an interview with Rolling Stone magazine. The talent gets around.

Diane Lokey Farb, Judith Oudt, Barry Silverman, Bob Allen, Neil Strauss, John Mecom and loads more rocking in Brasserie 19's Thursday night throng.

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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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