How old was Sally Ride when she died? Cause of death explored as new doc tells story of America’s first female astronaut

Sally Ride is being remembered more than a decade after her passing. The life and career of the first American woman to travel in space has been captured in a new National Geographic documentary. Titled Sally, the film also explores the former astronaut’s relationship with her partner, Tam O'Shaughnessy.

The Sally Ride Science co-founder passed away on July 23, 2012. She was 61 when she passed away in La Jolla, according to a statement released by her foundation. It further revealed that Sally Ride had a 17-month battle with pancreatic cancer until her death.

According to her sister, Bear, Ride had undergone chemotherapy and surgery following her diagnosis. Bear told New Times Broward-Palm Beach,

“She's been beating it off for 16, 17 months, and she went through chemo and then had fairly extensive surgery [Whipple Procedure] this October. And then some more chemo and she really thought she was coming out ahead of it. But in the end, it just wasn't enough.”

Bear Ride told the outlet that her sister entered hospice care two weeks before her demise.

Sally Ride kept her relationship and health struggles private

When the celebrated astronaut and physicist passed away, her 27-year-long relationship with Tam O'Shaughnessy was uncovered in the media. Following her death, Sally Ride became the first-known space traveler from the LGBTQ+ community. While Sally was alive, she chose to keep her personal life private. Her younger sister, Bear Ride, told The New Times Broward-Palm Beach,

“Sally was a profoundly private person. It was just part of who she was. We chalk that up to being Norwegian. She had a sense of 'this is family stuff.'”

Bear added,

“They went places together, they're in business together, they wrote books together. We consider Tam a member of the family.”

She also wrote in an email to NBC News,

“Her personal feelings were just that: personal. Not right or wrong — simply Sally. Everyone who knows her well really got that about her.”

Bear Rider, who has been open about her s*xuality, also remarked,

“I'm a rather out-there advocate for LGBT rights — my partner and I have even been arrested a couple of times in public protest! But that's me, and not Sally.”

While Sally Ride was a private person, she permitted her partner, Tam O'Shaughnessy, to reveal their relationship. During a recent chat with People, Tam reflected upon the conversation she had 10 days before her partner's death,

“Ten days before she died, I asked her how I should be to the public. I was holding sort of a public celebration of her life, and then a national tribute at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. And it was like, ‘So who am I?’ ”

She continued.

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“Our friends and family knew, and people guessed. It didn’t feel honest. She told me, you decide what you want to say, how open you want to be about our relationship.”

Tam O'Shaughnessy also opened up about her relationship with Sally Ride in the new documentary, which will broadcast on National Geographic on June 16, 09:00 pm ET. It will be available to stream on Hulu and Disney+ on Tuesday, June 17.

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