She was a true trailblazer and an inspiration to thousands.Yet not everyone knew her name or fully understood the impact of her life’s work.Now, we take a moment to honor Betty Reid Soskin.She was the oldest living National Park Service ranger until her passing on December 21, 2025, at the remarkable age of 104.

Surrounded by loved ones, Betty Reid Soskin’s final moments reflected the way she lived her life: full, intentional, and deeply meaningful. In a statement released Sunday morning, her family said she had “led a fully packed life and was ready to leave.”And what a life it was.A trailblazing civil rights activist, historian, and storyteller, Soskin spent more than a century breaking barriers and reclaiming forgotten history. She officially retired from the National Park Service in 2022 at age 100, earning the distinction of being the agency’s oldest active ranger, but her impact stretched far beyond any title.