Helen Van Winkle

Helen Ruth Elam Van Winkle-known to millions online as "Baddie Winkle," the irrepressibly colorful great-grandmother who turned late-life reinvention into a global phenomenon-died September 4, 2025, at her home in Kentucky. She was 97.

Born July 18, 1928, in West Liberty, Kentucky, Helen grew up on a farm and later made her home in Madison County. Long before "Baddie," Helen worked nearly three decades ordering parts for Dresser Industries, a detail she relayed with the same plainspoken pride she brought to the rest of her story.

Her second act began in 2014 when a playful snapshot-tie-dye shirt, cutoff shorts, and a peace sign-hit social media with help from her great-granddaughter. The image went viral, and "Baddie Winkle" was born: a persona equal parts glitter, grit, and good humor, dedicated to joy, self-expression, and the gentle skewering of ageism. In short order she rubbed shoulders with pop stars, walked red carpets, and became a fixture at festivals and on talk shows.

Baddie's signature motto-"Stealing Your Man Since 1928"-and her unapologetically bright wardrobe turned her into a cross-generational favorite. She appeared at MTV's Video Music Awards alongside Miley Cyrus and kept company with icons who recognized one of their own in her. In 2016 she was named Instagrammer of the Year at the 8th Annual Shorty Awards.

In 2017 she published "Baddiewinkle's Guide to Life," a photo-rich, good-humored handbook that doubled as a memoir of resilience and reinvention.

Helen's private losses shaped the heart of her public message. She spoke candidly over the years about grieving her husband, who died in a car crash in 1983, and her son, who died of bone cancer in 1999. She met that grief with color, kindness, and a determination to reinvent herself. Those who followed her online understood: the joy was real because the sorrow had been, too.

In every era, a few people manage to bend culture toward delight. Helen Van Winkle did it in her 80s and 90s, reminding millions that style has no sell-by date, that mischief can be kind, and that joy, shared freely, can feel like permission to live a little brighter.

By Legacy News Staff

(Image: @baddiewinkle via Instagram)