Cecile Richards, who led Planned Parenthood for over a decade, lost her battle with cancer on Monday.
Richards, 67, who was diagnosed in late 2023, passed away surrounded by family, her family said.
“This morning, our beloved Cecile passed away at home, surrounded by her family and her ever-loyal dog, Ollie. Our hearts are broken today, but no words can do justice to the joy she brought to our lives,” her family wrote, sharing the news of her death.
Richards served as the head of Planned Parenthood for 12 years before stepping down in 2018.
Richards is the daughter of late Texas Gov. Ann Richards (D) and is remembered as a tireless civil rights advocate.
James Aldrete, a board member of the Texas Freedom Network, a nonprofit focused on equality and social justice, described Richards as “a dear friend, an icon, and a mentor.”
“What you just saw over, even since the diagnosis, is still a person that never quit,” Aldrete said. “She didn’t say this is time to just relax. She’s like, ‘I’m going to make use of every last day.’”
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Her memoir is called “Make Trouble.” She was named one of TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2011 and 2012, according to the ACLU.
Her family wrote, “We are grateful to the doctors and health care workers who provided her excellent care and the friends, family, and well-wishers who have been by her side during this challenging time.”
Those who would like to celebrate Richards’ legacy should “put on some New Orleans jazz, gather with friends and family over a good meal,” they said.
In one of her final public appearances, at the Democratic National Convention in August 2024, Richards reflected on what she would share with her grandchildren if they asked about her life in advocacy.
“When it was all on the line, what did you do? And the only acceptable answer is everything we could,” Richards said.
