Passings: Notable women who left us in 2012

With the passing of another year, we pause to remember those who are no longer with us.  Featured here are a few of them.

Even though they are gone, their words and deeds will continue to inspire us for years to come, and in that way, they will live forever.

Blessed be.

Adrienne Rich

Feminist poet and essayist.



Read her poem "Aunt Jennifer's Tigers."

Helen Gurley Brown

Former editor of Cosmopolitan magazine and known as the original "Cosmo Girl."  Wrote "Sex and the Single Girl."

Helen Milliken

Michigan's former first lady and advocate for women's rights, including the Equal Rights Amendment and reproductive rights.  She skipped the opening ceremonies of the 1980 Republican National Convention, held in Detroit, after the party removed pro-ERA language from its platform and joined a protest march outside.

Florence Green

Believed to be the last surviving veteran of World War I, Green served in Britain's Royal Air Force.  She worked on the home front as a waitress in the officer's mess.  However, her service was not officially recognized until 2010.  She died Feb. 4, just short of her 111th birthday.

Nora Ephron


Journalist, blogger, essayists, screenwriter and filmmaker.

Sally Ride

One of the ultimate barrier breakers, she was the first American woman to fly in space.

Susan "Suzie" Kienscherf

Acting as a good Samaritan, Suzie was killed while trying to assist a fellow motorist after an accident.  A resident of Troy, Mich., she volunteered with Mid-Michigan Cat Rescue, fed feral cats in her neighborhood and found homes for a box of kittens someone left on her front lawn. 

You don't have to be famous to make a difference, because there's no such thing as an insignificant life.

The New York Times' list of notable deaths from 2012