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Betty Reid Soskin, the centenarian who made history by becoming the oldest ranger in the National Park Service (NPS), has died at 104. The NPS reported that Soskin passed away at her home in Richmond, California, on December 21, surrounded by her loved ones.
Soskin worked at the Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park until her retirement at age 100 in 2022. There, she spent over a decade and a half shining a light on the stories of women of color who, like herself, worked on the World War II home front.
Thanks to her personal experiences and years of research, Soskin was key in the development of the park she devoted her golden years to. Her interpretive program, which she offered until her final day in the workforce, informed how the NPS relays this chapter of American history beyond the park’s boundaries.
“Being a primary source in the sharing of that history—my history—and giving shape to a new national park has been exciting and fulfilling,” Soskin said before her retirement. “It has proven to bring meaning to my final years.” She was also commended for her insights on racism, marginalization, and discrimination. “What gets remembered is a function of who’s in the room doing the remembering,” she said.
Her efforts would earn her national recognition. During the Obama administration, she was invited to participate in a tree lighting ceremony at the White House. She also continued to share her knowledge online when the pandemic shut down her park, holding weekly virtual talks.
“She was a powerful voice for sharing her personal experiences, highlighting untold stories, and honoring the contributions of women from diverse backgrounds who worked on the World War II Home Front,” wrote the National Park Service. “Thank you for your service, Ranger Betty.”
Betty Reid Soskin, the centenarian who made history by becoming the oldest ranger in the National Park Service, has died at 104.
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Soskin worked at the Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park until her retirement at age 100 in 2022.
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
There, she spent her 16-year-career in the NPS shining a light on the stories of women of color who, like herself, worked on the World War II home front.
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
Sources: Betty Reid Soskin, Oldest U.S. Park Ranger and Trailblazing Historian, Dies at 104
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