Bay Area icon Betty Reid Soskin, the nation’s oldest National Park ranger and a dazzling figure in civil rights history, has died at 104. Soskin peacefully passed away Sunday morning at her Richmond, California home, surrounded by close family, her loved ones confirmed with an emotional Facebook post. They noted her death fell on the Winter Solstice—a symbolic closing to her remarkable journey. ‘She lived a life jam-packed with purpose and was ready for her next chapter,’ relatives wrote, requesting privacy as they grieve their beloved matriarch.

Born September 22, 1921, Soskin’s life spanned over a century of cultural upheavals and hard-won progress. During World War II, she made her mark as a file clerk in a boilermaker’s union and later launched the storied Reid’s Records in Berkeley—a family-run music store that persisted in the community for an impressive 75 years.

But Betty didn’t stop there. She became a trailblazer at the Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, where she captivated park visitors with firsthand accounts as an interpretive ranger for over a decade. Soskin officially joined the National Park Service payroll in 2011, and wowed guests with her legendary storytelling and moving reflections at the visitor center until retiring in 2022. When she hung up her hat, she did so as the oldest serving ranger in America, having dedicated nearly 16 years to sharing her powerful legacy.

When ABC7’s Liz Kreutz asked the revered centenarian for the secret to a long life, Soskin simply replied, ‘I wish I knew. It’s just one foot after the other for all of us.’ Longevity seemed to run in her DNA: her mother reached 101, while her grandmother, born enslaved in Louisiana in 1856, survived to 102.

Soskin’s impact extended far beyond the park gates. On her 100th birthday, a Bay Area school was renamed in her honor, cementing her influence for future generations. She was also a published author, musician, and lifelong activist. In the documentary-in-progress “Sign My Name to Freedom,” Betty admitted there were chapters of her life most never knew—a testament to her decades as a music artist, civil rights mover, and cultural force.

As the Bay Area and the nation remember Betty Reid Soskin—a woman who truly defined an era—her fierce dedication and legendary spirit are sure to live on in the stories she shared and the barriers she shattered.