Sally Ride, America’s first woman in Space, and a major part of the Zeitgeist, died of something I do wish we would find a cure for: cancer. In this case, Pancreatic Cancer. She was 61 years old.
Sally reached the distinction of being the first woman in Space, and the youngest, in 1983. That was the year this blogger was a sopohmore at Texas-Arlington, before starting grad school at Cal in 1985. I remember that Sally was almost one of the astronauts to go up in the ill-fated Challenger disaster that she later wound up serving on the review committee to determine why it blew up.
When some ask why my YouTube channel, and brand, is called “Zennie62,” it’s Sally’s impact on society that I point to as one of the reasons. During my life I’ve seen a lot of civil rights firsts, and Sally’s – and in the process of just being good at what she does – was one of them.
Sally Ride’s Lesbian Relationship
After Ride’s death, it was revealed by family members that she had a Lesbian relationship with someone named Dr. Tam E. O’Shaughnessy – a relationship she kept in secret. Ride was also married to a man named Steve Hawley, a fellow astronaut, and that lasted for five years, from 1982 to 1987.
Sally Ride Science
What I like most about Ms. Ride was that she used her name to advance the objective of teaching science to kids, particularly girls. That led to the establishment of her non-profit firm “Sally Ride Science,” which is committed to that mission.
Please visit the Facebook Page of Sally Ride Science and give a “like.”
http://www.facebook.com/sallyridescience
Sally Ride: RIP