Mary Frances Foley

Mary Frances (Bunny) Foley, RN and aerospace physiologist, who performed groundbreaking research on the effects of weightlessness, long term acceleration, hypertension, and head cooling, passed away on April 20th, 2019 at Aperion Care in Highwood, Illinois. The cause of death was multiple systems atrophy.

Ms. Foley also made advances in occupational medicine, publishing her research on pulmonary functions and heat stress in textile manufacturing.

The daughter of Dr. John D Foley and Kathleen Gorman Foley of Waukegan, IL, she graduated from high school and entered Rosemont College at the age of 16 and earned her BS and RN from Xavier College, Chicago in 1950. Bunny received her surgical nurse training at the Mayo Clinic/St Mary’s Hospital in Rochester, MN in 1952. She taught “Operating Room Techniques” at Madison General Hospital, WI, and then at Mercy Hospital/Xavier in Chicago.

In 1955, she became interested in the air transport of invalids. She spent three months traveling to Asia, Africa and Europe, meeting with airline medical directors and surveying their handling of patients and published “Air Travel for Patients” that established the standard for travel agents. She returned to the U S to join the Air Force in 1958 as a flight nurse assigned to Scott Air Force Base.

In 1960, after two years of active duty, she joined the research team at Ohio State University’s Aviation Medicine Research Laboratory, in the study of pulmonary effects of oxygen/air mixtures on the performance of professional pilots, and the effects of altitude on pulmonary functions and disease processes. In 1966, she began studying the effects of zero-gravity on pulmonary functions in the University’s Cardio Pulmonary Laboratory.

As an Air Force reservist at Wright Patterson AFB, she spent weekends, and two weeks of active duty each year, pursuing research for the Air Force.

From her service record:

“The background and versatility of Major Foley marked her as unique among Air Force Reserve nurses. Considering the short length of her tours actually served with the AMRL, her contributions have been truly outstanding.” Julian M. Christensen, Ph.D., Director Human Engineering Division. 26 October 1970.

As a scientist and a test subject, she flew in zero-gravity parabolas and operated the human centrifuge to understand G-force limits for pilots. Her service record commends her contributions to the understanding of effects of weightlessness on lung capacity and the likely performance limitations on astronauts; the physiological effects of prolonged acceleration; the stress reduction benefit of cooling helmets for F-16 fighter pilots; and the importance of nutrition in acceleration stress tolerance.

The Air Force promoted her to Major in 1964, and to Colonel in 1975. She was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal citing she “contributed significantly to the understanding of aircrew physiology under stress and will enhance the ability of Air Force fighter crew members to accomplish their missions”.

From 1973 to 1984, Bunny served as Supervisor of Medical Monitoring, Spring Mills, Inc. Fort Mills, SC., where she performed pulmonary screening and published research on the effects of the work environment in textile mills. While in South Carolina, she presented to the South Carolina Heart Association on the “Relationships between mortality, disability, tobacco use and hypertension,” and she conducted a landmark study of hypertension in young male weight-lifters. She was named Nurse of the Year 1980 by the South Carolina Lung Association.

From 1984 until 2000, she worked as an agency nurse for Manpower and Assured Healthcare Staffing in Gurnee, IL.

Her adopted name arose when, as a child, she was given a stuffed rabbit which she named “Nippy,” and she determined that she loved bunnies. Over time, she rescued many abandoned domestic rabbits and placed them in homes, often her own in later years when she returned to her home town of Waukegan, Illinois.

Bunny served as a Vice President of the Aerospace Medical Association, from which she received the 2009 Marie Marvingt Award, and the 2016 Mary T. Klinker Award for her contributions to Aerospace Medicine. She was awarded the Airborne Medallion by the International Woman’s Air and Space Museum.

She was a member of the Ninety-Nines (International Association of Women Pilots); the American Association of University Women; Past President of the Aerospace Physiology Association; International Women’s Air and Space Museum; Silver Wings; the Space Medicine Association; a Kentucky Colonel; and, a pilot.

When Bunny passed away, she was working on a book, “The History of Women in Aviation and Aerospace Medicine”.

She is survived by her nephew Christopher M. (Rory) Foley of Milwaukee, WI and many loving cousins throughout the United States.

A visitation will be held on Tuesday, April 30, 2019 from 9 to 11am at Marsh Funeral Home, 305 N. Cemetery Rd., Gurnee, IL.

Donations in her name can be made to continue Bunny’s mission to encourage women’s careers in aerospace medicine, continue her work documenting the profiles of women who have been its trail blazers, and her love of rabbits. Donations in her name can be sent to:

Aerospace Medical Association

In memoriam Mary F. Foley

320 South Henry Street

Alexandria, VA 22314-3579

The House Rabbit Society

In memoriam of Mary F. Foley

148 Broadway

Richmond, CA 94804