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Former president of Planned Parenthood and activist Cecile Richards passed away on Monday, January 20, 2025, amid the inauguration of president elect Donald Trump. Her family took to social media to share the news and shine a light on her memory, according to CBS News.
“This morning our beloved Cecile passed away at home, surrounded by her family and her ever-loyal dog, Ollie,” an Instagram statement read, accompanied by photos from her life. “Our hearts are broken today but no words can do justice to the joy she brought to our lives. 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.”
Husband Kirk Adams and their three children Lily, Hannah, and Daniel signed the statement. The carousel included snaps from Cecile’s private and public life, including a photo with former president Barack Obama and another with former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
Cecile Richards’ Career
The daughter of former Texas governor Ann Richards graduated from Brown University and went on to the top post at Planned Parenthood in 2006. She’d be president of the organization for 12 years, finally stepping away in 2018 and making way for Leana Wen. The position is currently held by Alexis McGill Johnson. As a teen, she was disciplined for protesting the Vietnam war. She was a board member of the Ford Foundation, and was deputy chief of staff to Nancy Pelosi.
Cecile founded the Texas Freedom network and co-founded America Votes, and was on the board of advisors for Let America Vote, among many other distinctions.
Cecile Richards’ Honors
President Joe Biden awarded Cecile the Presidential Medal of Freedom during a private ceremony in November of 2024. “Carrying her parents’ torch for justice, she’s led some of our Nation’s most important civil rights causes – to lift up the dignity of workers, defend and advance women’s reproductive rights and equality, and mobilize Americans to exercise their power to vote,” a commendation at the ceremony stated, according to the White House. “A leader of utmost character, she has carved an inspiring legacy that endures in her incredible family, the countless lives she has made better, and a Nation seeking the light of equality, justice, and freedom.”
She was also named one of Time Magazine‘s 100 most influential people in 2012. In the issue, Sandra Fluke called her “a role model for all of us as she leads women in pursuit of unfettered access to health care and reproductive freedom.”
In 2010, Cecile received the Puffin/Nation Prize for Creative Citizenship.
Cecile Richards’ Cause of Death
Cecile died after battling cancer. According to Fortune, the prominent activist was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer, in mid-2023. By early 2024, Cecile had addressed the diagnosis with the public via social media, saying she was “feeling great” at the time. “These past months have been filled with treatment – but also with trips to Maine, Texas, and New Orleans, time with my husband, three amazing kids, new grandson, and dutiful dog, Ollie, excursions to see Flaco the owl in Central Park, endless mystery novels and old movies, and work I am so fortunate to still be doing,” she wrote.
In a January 2024 interview with The Cut, she confessed she hadn’t expected to feel good following the diagnosis. “I am sleeping. I’m eating. I’m having fun. I’m working. It’s like Pinocchio — I’m a real boy, and that feels really good,” she told the outlet at the time. “Because six months ago, I didn’t know that this was possible.”
The average survival rate for glioblastoma is approximately 15 months, according to Healthline.
