Betty Reid Soskin, who became the National Park Service's oldest active ranger and retired at 100, died peacefully at 104 on Dec. 21 in Richmond, Calif. She began her NPS work at 85 at the Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park and helped ensure the park preserved the history of racial segregation and Black wartime labor. A longtime activist, songwriter and community leader, Soskin received multiple honors and asked that donations be directed to a middle school named for her and to complete her film project.
Betty Reid Soskin, National Park Ranger and Civil Rights Advocate, Dies at 104 — Retired as NPS's Oldest Ranger at 100
National Parks Service/Instagram Betty Reid Soskin
Betty Reid Soskin, the longtime activist and former National Park Service (NPS) ranger who became the oldest active park ranger in the agency before retiring at 100, has died at 104. Her family announced her peaceful passing on Sunday, Dec. 21, at her home in Richmond, California.
"This morning on the Winter Solstice, our mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, Betty Reid Soskin, passed away peacefully at her home in Richmond, CA," the family said in a statement. "She led a fully packed life and was ready to leave." They asked for privacy and said a public memorial will be scheduled at a later date.
Life, Career and Advocacy
Soskin began her official career with the National Park Service at age 85, guiding visitors at the Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, Calif. She had previously worked with the NPS as a consultant during the park's formation, where she was often the only person of color in the room and pushed to ensure the new park preserved—rather than erased—the history of racial segregation and the contributions of Black workers on the wartime home front.
For roughly 15 years she led tours and used her platform to share deeply personal accounts: her work as a file clerk in a segregated union hall during World War II, her activism and songwriting during the civil rights era, and the broader stories of African American labor and community life.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Betty Reid Soskin in 2013
"I tell the story of the African-American workers," Soskin told Today in 2015. "When I'm on the streets or on an escalator or elevator, I am making every little girl of color aware of a career choice she may not have known she had."
Notable Events and Honors
In 2015 President Barack Obama presented Soskin with a commemorative coin. The following year an intruder broke into her home, assaulted her and stole the coin; she returned to work three weeks later, calling the ordeal "an adventure I wished I'd never had," while also expressing gratitude for community support.
Soskin's honors included being named Woman of the Year by the California State Legislature (1995), receiving the National WWII Museum’s Silver Service Medallion (2016), and being recognized as a Glamour Woman of the Year (2018). She celebrated her 100th birthday with students at a middle school named in her honor and retired from active NPS duty in March 2022.
Legacy and Requests From Family
The family asked that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Betty Reid Soskin Middle School in El Sobrante, Calif., and toward the completion of her documentary, Sign My Name To Freedom. They described her as a "mother, daughter, musician, author, political activist, wife, record store owner, songwriter, painter, grandmother, great-grandmother, prolific blogger, and more."
Her death marks the end of a remarkable life spent preserving history, mentoring new generations and ensuring that the stories of Black workers on the World War II home front are remembered.
