Betty Reid Soskin, Oldest National Park Service Ranger, Dies At 104

RICHMOND, CA — Betty Leon Charbonnet Reid Soskin, an accomplished Bay Area resident and the oldest ever National Park Service ranger, has died, her family announced Sunday. She was 104.

Soskin, according to her family, "passed away peacefully" at her Richmond home.

"She led a fully packed life and was ready to leave," her family wrote on social media. "We understand the public nature of Betty's life, however we ask that you please respect the family's privacy at this time."

The family asks that, in place of flowers, people looking to pay their respects to Soskin send donations to Betty Reid Soskin Middle School in El Sobrante, or donate to help finish the 104-year-old's feature film, "Sign My Name To Freedom." Sign My Name To Freedom, named after her memoir, is expected to be released in 2026.

Soskin was born in Detroit, but grew up in New Orleans, where her father ran a millwright business.

Her family settled in Oakland, where her maternal grandfather had moved following World War I, according to the National Park Service.

Her family's resettlement followed the migration pattern of Black railroad workers, who settled on the West Coast seeking a "life less burdened by southern hostility," according to the National Park Service.

Soskin lived an illustrious life. She graduated from Castlemont High School, according to the National Park Service, and was present in the Bay Area during much of its development.

During World War II, Soskin worked as a file clerk in the segregated Union Hall of Boilermakers, according to the National Park Service.

Following the war, she and her then-husband, Mel Reid, founded one of the first Black-owned music stores, known as Reid's Records.

Soskin would go on to explore her passion as a singer-songwriter, creating music that highlighted her family's experiences confronting Jim Crow segregation in California, according to the "Sign My Name To Freedom" documentary.

Over the years, Soskins also served as a staff member to a Berkeley City Council member, and as a field representative for Assemblywoman Dion Aroner and Senator Loni Hancock.

In 1995, she was recognised as "Woman of the Year" by the California State Legislature.

It was in the early 2000s when Soskin started the movement to develop a plan for the Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park, according to the National Park Service.

"Through a grant funded by PG&E, she helped uncover untold stories of African Americans on the WWII Home Front, which led to a temporary NPS position at the age of 84," according to the National Park Service. "By 2007, Betty became a permanent NPS employee, leading public programs and sharing her personal observations and remembrances at the park visitor center."

Soskins began gaining recognition as the oldest National Park Service ranger in 2013, leading to national and international attention from media outlets, according to the agency.

In 2019, Soskin suffered a stroke and spent months in physical therapy before returning to work in a limited capacity the following year.

She retired from the National Park Service in 2022 at the age of 100.

"Throughout her remarkable life, Betty was a mother, daughter, musician, author, political activist, wife, record store owner, songwriter, painter, grandmother, great-grandmother, prolific blogger, and more," according to a press release from her family. "