Archive · 22 Dec 2025
Betty Reid Soskin, Oldest Park Ranger, Dies at 104
Betty Reid Soskin was a very important woman who lived to be 104 years old.
She was known for being the oldest park ranger in the United States.
She worked hard to share stories about African American experiences during World War II.
Betty was born in Detroit and moved to California when she was young.
She came from a family with a long history, including a great-grandmother who was a slave.
Betty's family announced her passing on a special day called the Winter Solstice.
She was loved by her family and had a very full life.
Betty Reid Soskin, the oldest active National Park Service ranger, died at age 104.
She was known for sharing overlooked African American stories from World War II.
Born in Detroit in 1921, she moved to Oakland at age 6 due to the 1927 Mississippi flood.
Her family announced her passing on the Winter Solstice, surrounded by family.
Betty was a civil rights pioneer with a great-grandmother who endured slavery.
- Who
- Betty Reid Soskin, a civil rights pioneer and the oldest active National Park Service ranger.
- What
- Her death at the age of 104.
- When
- December 21, 2024 (Winter Solstice).
- Where
- Richmond, California.
- Why
- She passed peacefully at her residence, surrounded by family.
- Name
- Betty Reid Soskin
- Age at Death
- 104
- Occupation
- National Park Service Ranger
- Notable Role
- Oldest active National Park Service ranger
- Birthplace
- Detroit, Michigan
- Birth Year
- 1921
- Residence at Death
- Richmond, California
- Date of Death
- December 21, 2024 (Winter Solstice)