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Betty Reid Soskin, Trailblazing National Park Service Ranger Who Reframed WWII Home‑Front History, Dies at 104

She reshaped the Rosie the Riveter park’s narrative by elevating overlooked Black experiences from the wartime home front.

Overview

  • Her family said she died peacefully at home in Richmond, California, on Dec. 21 at age 104, noting she "led a fully packed life and was ready to leave."
  • A public memorial will be announced, and the family asks for donations to Betty Reid Soskin Middle School and to complete the documentary Sign My Name to Freedom.
  • Soskin, who became an interpretive ranger in her mid‑80s and retired in 2022 at 100, was the National Park Service’s oldest active ranger.
  • The NPS credited her with bringing untold stories to Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park, including accounts of segregation and the Port Chicago disaster.
  • A lifelong activist, author, and co‑founder of Reid’s Records, she also gained national recognition by introducing President Barack Obama at the 2015 National Christmas Tree Lighting.