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RICHMOND, Calif. -- Betty Reid Soskin, champion known arsenic the oldest serving National Park Service ranger successful the country, has died, her household announced connected Sunday.
She was 104 years old.
National Park Service Ranger Betty Reid Soskin smiles Tuesday, July 12, 2016, astatine the Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Historical Park successful Richmond, Calif.
Ben Margot
Her household wrote connected Facebook:
"This greeting connected the Winter Solstice, our mother, grandmother, and large grandmother, Betty Reid Soskin, passed distant peacefully astatine her location successful Richmond, CA astatine 104 years old. She was attended by family. She led a afloat packed beingness and was acceptable to leave. We recognize the nationalist quality of Betty's life, nevertheless we inquire that you delight respect the family's privateness astatine this time..
Soskin was calved connected September 22, 1921. During World War II she worked arsenic a record clerk for a boilermaker's national and founded Reid's Records successful Berkeley. It was unfastened for 75 years.
She has worked for much than a decennary arsenic an interpretative ranger astatine the Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Park Museum successful Richmond.
She retired from the National Park Service successful 2022.
RELATED: 100-year-old Betty Reid Soskin, nation's oldest parkland ranger, retires
Betty Reid Soskin, the oldest progressive National Park Service ranger, retired connected Thursday aft much than 15 years with the agency.
Before joining NPS, Soskin helped with scoping meetings for the City of Richmond and NPS to make the Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park.
In 2011, Betty became a imperishable NPS worker and has been starring nationalist programs and sharing her idiosyncratic remembrances and observations astatine the parkland visitant center.
In September 2021, ABC7's Liz Kreutz spoke to Soskin, asking her, "What's her concealed to a agelong life?"
Soskin was not wholly sure.
"I privation I knew. I'm not definite that determination is simply a secret," Soskin said. "I deliberation it's each just, 1 ft astatine a time. One ft successful beforehand of the other. I don't deliberation immoderate 1 of america truly understands what it's about."
Another mentation was genetics. Soskin's parent lived to beryllium 101. Her grandmother, who was calved a enslaved successful Louisiana successful 1856, lived to beryllium 102.
"And I was calved successful 1921," Soskin added, "And I'm inactive here," she said successful 2021.
RELATED: School named aft National Park Ranger Betty Reid Soskin connected her 100th birthday
A schoolhouse has been named aft Betty Reid Soskin, the country's oldest nationalist parkland ranger, connected her 100th birthday.
Soskin was besides an author, a musician, and a civilian rights activist.
In an unfinished documentary, "Sign My Name to Freedom," Soskin revealed her passionateness for music.
"There's a portion of my beingness that I've kept hidden for a fractional century," she said successful the film.
Bay Area fable Betty Reid Soskin is 102, and she's reflecting connected each the parts of her historical beingness successful a caller documentary "Sign My Name to Freedom."
In September 2025, ABC7 was successful El Sobrante erstwhile dozens of students from Soskin Middle School celebrated Soskin's 104th birthday.
For those who privation to grant Soskin, her household is asking for donations to the Betty Reid Soskin Middle schoolhouse successful El Sobrante and/or assistance enactment the completion of Betty's movie "Sign My Name to Freedom."
Her household said determination volition beryllium a nationalist memorial. The clip and spot volition beryllium announced.
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