"Betty Reid Soskin (1921-2025), who, until her retirement in March 2022 at age 100, was the nation's oldest serving National Park Service (NPS) ranger. She previously was the manager of Reid's Records in Berkeley, a singer and performer, a field representative for California State Assemblymembers Dion Aroner and Loni Hancock, and was an ardent community activist."
"One of her four children, Di'ara Melite Reid, is a transgender activist, and Soskin was the honored guest of the San Francisco Bay Times Pride Parade contingent in 2022. She was believed to have been the oldest dignitary ever to have been presented in the San Francisco Pride Parade."
"The event was livestreamed and archived by Sign My Name to Freedom: The Lost Music of Betty Reid Soskin, which is a featured documentary about Soskin's life that is in post-production."
Betty Reid Soskin passed away in 2025 after a remarkable life of service and activism. She served as a National Park Service ranger until her retirement in March 2022 at age 100, making her the nation's oldest serving ranger. Before her NPS career, Soskin managed Reid's Records in Berkeley, performed as a singer, worked as a field representative for California State Assemblymembers, and remained an ardent community activist throughout her life. Her Celebration of Life on March 1, 2026, drew over 1000 attendees to the Calvin Simmons Theater in Oakland, including Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee and multiple NPS leaders. Her son Bob Reid performed tributes, and her legacy includes raising a transgender activist child. A documentary about her life is in post-production.
Read at San Francisco Bay Times
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