When did Betty Reid Soskin retire? Oldest national park ranger in the US passes away at 104
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RICHMOND, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 15: Betty Reid Soskin, the oldest full-time National Park Service ranger in the United States, looks on during a news conference announcing her retirement at the Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park on April 15, 2022 in Richmond, California. Betty Reid Soskin retired on March 31 after a decade and a half of serving as a National Park Ranger at the Rosie the Riveter/World War ll Home Front National Park where she shared her personal experience with other women who worked on the World War II home front. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)Betty Reid Soskin passed away on the morning of December 21 in her home in Richmond, California. Her family announced the news on Facebook on Sunday. They also shared that in her final moments, Betty was surrounded by her loved ones. Soskin was 104 years old at the time of her death.
She was known for being the oldest serving National Park Service ranger. Betty Reid Soskin retired in March 2022. NPS announced her retirement via a press release.
She was born on September 22, 1921, in Detroit, and during World War II, Betty worked as a file clerk for the Boilermakers Union A-36.
She and her first husband, Melvin Reid, opened Reid's Records in Berkeley in 1945. The records shop was known for selling gospel music. The store remained open for 74 years before shutting down in 2019.
Soskin worked as a field representative for California State Assembly members Dion Aroner and Loni Hancock, and helped to plan and develop the Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park.
According to the Washington Post's June 12, 2015, report, in 2003, three years after the park's establishment, Betty quit her job and became a consultant there.
Then, in 2007, Betty Reid Soskin became a park ranger at 85. Her memoir, Sign My Name to Freedom, was published in 2018, and a documentary is scheduled for 2026.
The trailer was released last year. Soskin's life is also documented in the film No Time to Waste.
Betty Reid Soskin suffered a stroke in 2019
When the former park ranger was working at the Rosie the Riveter Visitor Center in September 2019, she showed signs of a stroke. Her son. Bob Reid shared in a statement afterward.
Bob claimed that Betty was quickly taken to a nearby hospital and received "acute rehabilitation" for a week. He thanked the well-wishers and also launched a GoFundMe fundraiser for medical bills.
In the page description, Bob Reid shared that his mother needed in-home care for 8 hours a day. This in-home care was required for a year and cost the family approximately $100,000.
Out of the target, over $68,000 was raised by 970 donors. In October 2019, Bob shared an update, saying that Betty Reid Soskin was recovering.
He also stated that International Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers, and Helpers donated $10,000, and he picked up the cheque from them.
In other news, netizens shared tributes for Betty Reid Soskin, recalling meeting, interviewing, or chatting with her.
"Peace and condolences and honor to her family. I had the honor and privilege of crossing paths with her both in Berkeley and Richmond. What an accomplished and smart activist woman," one Facebook user noted.
"One of my heroines. she lived her life in technicolor and aged with grace and wisdom," one netizen added.
"Rest in peace... What a truly amazing woman and example. I learned of Betty years ago, and heard her interviewed multiple times. The depth of her character, contributions will be remembered for many years to come," another user wrote.
Stay tuned for more updates on Betty Reid Soskin.
TOPICS: Betty Reid Soskin, death