Marin ‘Rosie The Riveter’ Champion Phyllis Gould Dies At 99

FAIRFAX, CA — A Marin County woman who successfully advocated for the recognition of the millions of “Rosie the Riveters,” women who worked alongside her at defense plants during World War II, has died at 99.

Phyllis Gould died July 20 from complications of a stroke, The San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Gould worked as a welder at a Richmond shipyard in support of America’s World War II effort.

She became an interior decorator and eventually settled in Marin, The Associated Press reports.

Gould married twice and had five children.

An iconic Rosie the Riveter poster showing a woman in a polka-dotted bandana flexing her muscular arm was the centerpiece of a recruitment effort to fill defense jobs during the war, The AP reports.

Gould relentlessly fought for recognition for the six million “Rosie the Riveters” who joined the workforce in support of the war effort. She along with several other "Rosies" met with former President Barack Obama and former Vice President Joe Biden in 2014.

Her efforts led to the 2019 declaration of March 21 as national Rosie the Riveter Day.