December 23, 2025
The Nation’s Oldest National Park Ranger Dies At 104
Betty Reid Soskin was the oldest ranger ever to serve the U.S. National Park Service retiring at 100-years-old.
Betty Reid Soskin, the oldest ranger ever to serve the U.S. National Park Service, died Dec. 21, 2025, at age 104, peacefully at her home surrounded by relatives, according to family statements.
Soskin became a celebrated figure in American history for her work as a National Park Service interpreter and ranger at Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, California, where she helped shape the park’s narrative to include overlooked stories of women, people of color, and the home front during World War II.
Born Sept. 22, 1921, in Detroit, Soskin grew up in a family with deep roots in African American history and faced racial segregation throughout her youth and early career. During World War II, she worked in a segregated union hall, gaining firsthand experience that later informed her work as a park ranger.
Soskin joined the National Park Service in 2007 at age 85, initially serving as a docent and later becoming a permanent employee in 2011. She continued to guide visitors and share her personal recollections of the era, becoming known for her engaging storytelling and passion for inclusive history. She retired in March 2022 at age 100 as the nation’s oldest serving park ranger.
Her influence extended beyond the parks. Soskin co-founded Reid’s Records, one of California’s earliest Black-owned music stores, and was active in civil rights and community work. She delivered presentations that connected national visitors with local and national stories of resilience and service.
The Obama Foundation made a post on X praising Soskin’s lifetime dedication, stating, “In addition to telling her own stories, she also ensured the stories of countless people of color who faced discrimination at home during the war were added to our collective understanding of that time.
The American story is told more completely, our history is known more fully, and our understanding of the experiences of Black women is richer because of Betty Reid Soskin. A mother, businesswoman, federal worker — and the nation’s oldest National Park Ranger when she retired at… pic.twitter.com/54BouvN0aF
— The Obama Foundation (@ObamaFoundation) December 22, 2025
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