The United States Supreme Court announced this Friday the death of Judge Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to serve on the country’s Supreme Court.
The 93-year-old judge succumbed to complications related to advanced dementia she suffered, according to the aforementioned court.
O’Connor, raised on the Lazy B Ranch in Arizona and known as a “real cowgirl,” was nominated by President Ronald Reagan in 1981, and became the first woman to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court.
The lawyer inspired generations of women lawyers, and paved the way for the five women who succeeded her in the country’s highest court, the statement says.
“Her career marked success in a field previously dominated by men, and over time, she established herself as a moderate conservative, often being the deciding vote on crucial social issues,” he emphasizes.
In Arizona they have remembered her as a “pioneer leader for all women by being the first woman judge on the United States Supreme Court” and ensuring that “her legacy will continue to live on throughout Arizona and throughout the country. We will miss her greatly.” .
She retired in 2006 to care for her husband, who was suffering from Alzheimer’s.
During her career, O’Connor witnessed changes in the Supreme Court’s ideological orientation, including the overturning of an abortion decision she helped write in 1992.
He also addressed issues related to the separation of church and state and showed a particular interest in affirmative action.
In October 2018, he publicly revealed his diagnosis of the “early stages of dementia, likely Alzheimer’s disease.”
On that occasion he published an emotional letter where he expressed his gratitude and deep appreciation for the blessings in his life.
Sandra Day O’Connor, raised on the Lazy B Ranch in Arizona, was noted for her self-sufficiency and independence from a young age, characteristics that led her to be known as a “real cowgirl.” A graduate of Stanford University, where she also met her husband John O’Connor, the judge left an indelible mark on American judicial history.
In 2009, her achievements were recognized by President Barack Obama, who honored her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
