Willie Willa Mae Thomas, who was one of the few remaining Rosie the Riveter workers from the Richmond shipyards’ World War II glory days, died earlier this month.
Thomas died on her 100th birthday on Dec. 11. She was born on Dec. 11, 1924 in Arkansas, according to a notice posted on the Rosie the Riveter Trust Facebook page.
Thomas was one of seven siblings who migrated from the South to work in the Richmond shipyards during World War II.
She was hired as a scaler after applying for work in the shipyard employment office. In that job, she helped remove grime, oil and barnacles from the inside and outside of ships. These roles were generally filled by Black workers, who were the lowest paid and tasked with doing the dirtiest work aboard the vessels.
During the war, Thomas and her family lived at the Canal War Apartments between Garrard and First streets, north of Cutting Boulevard.
A funeral for Thomas was held in her hometown of Richmond on Dec. 28, according to an online obituary.
On her Instagram page, Kenya Wright said her great great aunt’s death “marks the end of an era.”
“She was generous with her stories so her legacy will live on for generations to come,” Wright wrote.
She added that Thomas “hated that farm life” in Arkansas where her family was poor while raising chickens, cows and horses as well as cultivating fruits and vegetables.
Wright added that Thomas began working at the shipyards when she was 20 years old shortly after giving birth.
“She remained fabulous and sharp until the very end,” Wright wrote.
Thomas and the other women who worked at the shipyards are honored by exhibits at the Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Historic Park, which is situated along the Richmond Bay shoreline.
The museum there captures the dedication and hard work of the female shipyard workers who were known as Rosie the Riveters as well as the hundreds of men who worked alongside them.
The shipyard workers built 747 ships during World War II. The last remaining vessel is the SS Red Oak Victory, which is docked nearby.
“”
“We had to fight for our country. We had to work together and keep this country.“
— Willie “Willa” Mae Thomas
Thomas was one of eight Rosies who attended a “roll call” ceremony at the museum in March. At the gathering, Thomas told KPIX-TV: “We had to fight for our country. We had to work together and keep this country. Now, it’s more than ever… and all that brings back that we had to remember how that was then. Because I remember how that was then. It was scary times. We got to know that it’s going to be alright.”
Thomas was also one of the Rosies who occasionally spoke at the museum on Fridays.
One of the Rosies, Betty Reid Soskin, is featured in the documentary film “No Time to Waste.” Reid, who is now 103, was the oldest park ranger in the National Park Service when she retired in 2021 at the age of 100.
Thank you for this article. Please know that the revered Betty Reid Soskin was not a Rosie. She worked as a clerk for the Boilermakers Union in what she called “the Jim Crow hiring hall.” In fact, in her park ranger talks, Soskin said she did not “identify” with the icon of Rosie the Riveter. To find out why, watch the video of one of her talks that is posted to the website of Rosie the Riveter museum.
The article about the ROSIE coin is very interesting and appreciative. Having been in the first ROSIE docent class and a volunteer on the ROV since day 7, I agree with Linda that Betty Reid Soskin never identified with being part of the WWII ROSIES. I can’t remember ever seeing Betty Reid Soskin onboard the ROV.
Regards, Gary Elliott
Castlemont High School graduate Jan. 1957. Betty Reid Soskin also graduated from
Castlemont.