Loretta Ford (1920–2025), pioneering nurse practitioner

Loretta Ford was a nurse who co-founded the first nurse practitioner program in the United States.

Madeleine Riffaud (1924–2024), French Resistance fighter

Madeleine Riffaud was a journalist and fighter with the French Resistance in World War II, refusing to bow to the Nazis despite capture and torture.

Thelma Mothershed Wair (1940–2024), Little Rock Nine member

Thelma Mothershed Wair was the oldest of the Little Rock Nine, a group of Black students who integrated Little Rock Central High School in 1957, prompting one of the most important civil rights clashes in American history. 

Lilly Ledbetter (1938–2024), activist who fought for equal pay

Lilly Ledbetter was a Goodyear area manager turnedactivist whose Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. lawsuit resulted in landmark equal pay legislation, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009.

Toni Vaz (1922–2024), NAACP Image Award creator

Toni Vaz was an actress and the first Black stuntwoman in Hollywood, best known for being the creator of the NAACP Image Awards.

Romay Johnson Davis (1919–2024), WWII Women’s Army Corps vet

Romay Johnson Davis was a World War II veteran and a member of the first all-female, all-Black Army Corps unit deployed overseas during the conflict. 

Bette Nash (1935–2024), world’s longest-serving flight attendant

Bette Nash was a flight attendant who worked for 67 years, longer than any other flight attendant in history. 

Mary Wells Lawrence (1928–2024), legendary advertising exec

Mary Wells Lawrence was a groundbreaking advertising executive who founded Wells Rich Greene and was known for quotable ad slogans like “I ♥ NY” and “Plop, plop, fizz, fizz.” 

Olga Fikotová (1932–2024), Olympic gold medalist discus thrower

Olga Fikotová was an Olympic gold medal-winning and record-setting discus thrower whose romance with American athlete Hal Connolly made waves in her home country of Czechoslovakia.

Esther Coopersmith (1930–2024), diplomat and host to powerful people 

Esther Coopersmith was an unofficial Washington D.C. diplomat who for more than 70 years organized events for political power players all across the world.

Dorie Ladner (1942–2024), Freedom Riders civil rights activist 

Dorie Ladner was a civil rights activist whose efforts included being arrested for attempting to have lunch at a segregated Woolworth lunch counter and jailed for picketing in the 1962 Jackson, Mississippi boycotts.

Naomi Barber King (1931–2024), civil rights activist 

Naomi Barber King was a civil rights activist who married Rev. Alfred Daniel Williams King (1930–1969), brother of Rev. .

Eleanor Collins (1919–2024), Canada's First Lady of Jazz

Eleanor Collins was a jazz singer widely known as Canada's First Lady of Jazz, who broke ground on television when she became the first woman and first Black artist in Canada to host her own national television series, “The Eleanor Show.” 

Jackie Loughery (1930–2024), first Miss USA

Jackie Loughery was the winner of the first ever Miss USA pageant in 1952 and went on to an acting career.

Ira von Fürstenberg (1940–2024), princess, socialite, and actress

Ira von Fürstenberg was an Italian princess and mid-century style icon who had a film career in the 1960s and ‘70s.

Chita Rivera (1933–2024), Broadway star of West Side Story

Chita Rivera was a Broadway star who won two Tony Awards and originated such roles as Anita in “West Side Story” and Velma Kelly in “Chicago.”

Ruth Ashton Taylor (1922–2024), groundbreaking broadcast reporter 

Ruth Ashton Taylor was a television journalist and newscaster who worked with Edward R. Murrow in New York City, then moved to Los Angeles, where she became the first female television newscaster on the West Coast.

Sandra Day O’Connor (1930–2023), first woman on the U.S. Supreme Court

Sandra Day O’Connor was the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court of the United States.

Rosalynn Carter (1927–2023), former first lady of the United States

Rosalynn Carter was first lady of the United States from 1977 to 1981, wife to 39th President Jimmy Carter.

Elinor Otto (1919–2023), one of the original Rosie the Riveters

Elinor Otto was one of the original Rosie the Riveters, who continued building airplanes for decades after World War II. 

Wanda PóÅ‚tawska (1921–2023), Holocaust survivor befriended the Pope

Wanda PóÅ‚tawska was a Polish doctor and author who was tortured in medical experiments by the Nazis, and later went on to befriend the future .

Helen Williams (1935–2023), pioneering model

Helen Williams was one of the first Black models to appear widely in national publications in the U.S.

Dianne Feinstein (1933–2023), U.S. senator from California

Dianne Feinstein was a Democratic U.S. senator from California, who served six terms in Congress from 1992 to her death.

í‰va Fahidi (1925–2023), author and Holocaust survivor

í‰va Fahidi was a Hungarian author and Holocaust survivor who, after seeing her family killed in Auschwitz and surviving forced labor at Buchenwald, wrote the memoir, “The Soul of Things.”  

Marilyn Lillie Lovell (1930–2023), wife of astronaut Jim Lovell

Marilyn Lillie Lovell was the wife of NASA astronaut Jim Lovell and an active member of the Astronaut Wives Club.

Dorothy Casterline (1928–2023), deaf linguist and ASL advocate 

Dorothy Casterline was a deaf linguist and contributor to the Dictionary of American Sign Language (ASL) on Linguistic Principles whose innovative treatment of ASL as a distinct language led to greater mainstream acceptance.

Nechama Tec (1931–2023), Holocaust survivor, historian, and scholar

Nechama Tec was a Holocaust survivor, scholar, and author of the book “Defiance: The Bielski Partisans,” which inspired the 2008 film of the same name.

Sheila Oliver (1952–2023), groundbreaking New Jersey elected official 

Sheila Oliver led a groundbreaking political career as a Garden State legislator, including being the first Black woman to serve as speaker for the General Assembly and the first Black woman elected as New Jersey’s lieutenant governor.0

Evelyn Boyd Granville (1924–2023), NASA mathematician 

Evelyn Boyd Granville was a mathematician who worked with NASA to help safely send some of the first astronauts into space.

Jane Birkin (1946–2023), singer, actress, and model

Jane Birkin was a prolific British and French actress and singer, as well as the inspiration for the sought-after Birkin Bag from Hermès, one of the most exclusive accessories in fashion.

Françoise Gilot (1921–2023), artist and muse to Picasso

Françoise Gilot was a renowned French artist whose 1964 memoir, “Life with Picasso,” told the story of her years as the muse and lover of Pablo Picasso.

Marlene Hagge-Vossler (1934–2023), last surviving LPGA founder

Marlene Hagge-Vossler was one of the 13 women who co-founded the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) in 1950, the last of the group to survive.

Gloria Molina (1948–2023), trailblazing California politician

Gloria Molina was the first Latina elected to the California State Assembly, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, and the Los Angeles City Council.

Pamela Turnure Timmins (1937–2023), Jackie Kennedy’s press secretary

Pamela Turnure Timmins was the press secretary for during her years as first lady.0

Grace Bumbry (1937–2023), pioneering opera star 

Grace Bumbry was an operatic mezzo-soprano who became one of the first Black superstars of the genre. 

Marisol Malaret (1949–2023), first Puerto Rican Miss Universe

Marisol Malaret was the first Miss Universe from Puerto Rico and the first from the Caribbean islands, who held the crown in 1970.

Bobbi Ercoline (1949–2023), pictured on famous Woodstock album

Bobbi Ercoline became a symbol of a generation when she and her then-boyfriend were pictured on the Woodstock soundtrack album cover, embracing while wrapped in a blanket.

Dot Wilkinson (1921–2023), softball and bowling hall of famer

Dot Wilkinson was a softball legend and bowler who was in the halls of fame for both of her sports.

Patricia Schroeder (1940–2023), U.S. Representative from Colorado

Patricia Schroeder was a longtime Democratic U.S. Representative from Colorado known for her work towards women’s rights.

Pat McCormick (1930–2023), Olympic gold medal-winning diver

Four-time Olympic gold-winning diver Pat McCormick was so dominant, she won two medals in the 1956 games just five months after giving birth to her son, Tim. She was among the most dominant competitors in her field, winning 26 titles in an 11-year span, including two undefeated seasons. When not competing, she pursued adventure where she could, including mountain climbing, traveling the Amazon, and piloting planes.

Simone Segouin (1925–2023), heroine of the French Resistance

Simone Segouin was a French Resistance fighter during World War II, who helped capture German troops and deliver crucial messages.

Jean Faut (1925–2023), AAGPBL pitcher with two perfect games

Jean Faut was a star pitcher with the South Bend Blue Sox of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL).

Greta Andersen (1927–2023), Olympic swimming champion 

Greta Andersen was a Danish professional swimmer. She broke 18 world marathon records and was the largest money winner in women’s professional swimming history.0e280af

Lucile Randon (1904–2023), world’s oldest person

Lucile Randon , also known as Sister André, was the world’s oldest person and the fourth-oldest authenticated person in history.

Jean Landis (1918–2022), World War II WASP pilot

Jean Landis served with the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) during World War II, flying crucial non-combat missions.

Billie Moore (1943–2022), first U.S. Olympic women’s basketball head coach

Billie Moore was a women’s basketball coach who coached the first U.S. Olympic women’s basketball team to a silver medal in 1976.

Virginia McLaurin (1909–2022), 113-year-old honored at White House

Virginia McLaurin became a viral sensation when she danced with the Obamas at the White House when she was 106.

Hannah Pick-Goslar (1928–2022), Holocaust survivor and friend of Anne Frank

Hannah Pick-Goslar was one of best friends and was often mentioned in her famous diary.

Sacheen Littlefeather (1946–2022), activist who declined Marlon Brando’s Oscar

Sacheen Littlefeather was an actress and Native American activist who made news when she appeared at the 1973 Academy Awards to decline Oscar.