Gladys West, a pioneering mathematician whose work helped lay the foundation for the global positioning system (GPS), has died, per Boston 25 News. She was 95.

On Saturday (January 17), West passed away peacefully while surrounded by family and friends at her home in Virginia.

"This morning, the world lost a pioneer in Dr Gladys West. She passed peacefully alongside her family and friends and is now in heaven with her loved ones. We thank you in advance for all of the love and prayers you have and will continue to provide," a social media post reads.

Born on October 27, 1930, in Sutherland, Virginia, West graduated first in her high school class and earned a scholarship to Virginia State College, now Virginia State University. West received her bachelor’s degree in mathematics in 1952 and completed a graduate degree three years later.

In 1956, West began working as a programmer and mathematician at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren, Virginia. She was the second Black woman hired at the base and only the fourth Black employee overall.

While at Dahlgren, West met fellow mathematician Ira West, whom she married in 1957.

During the early 1960s, West contributed to an astronomical study that demonstrated the regularity of Pluto’s motion relative to Neptune. Over the following decades, she played a critical role in developing highly precise mathematical models of the Earth’s shape, work that later became central to GPS technology.

West's calculations and programming helped enable satellite-based navigation systems now used worldwide for everything from military operations to everyday smartphone navigation.

“This woman had so much knowledge and was just such a beautiful person,” Marvin Jackson, West’s biographer, said in a 2022 interview with WTVR.

West worked at the Naval Surface Warfare Center for 42 years before retiring in 1998. In 2000, she completed a doctorate in public administration at Virginia Tech.

West's contributions were formally recognized later in life. In 2018, she was inducted into the Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers Hall of Fame. In 2021, she received a Webby Lifetime Achievement Award, the Prince Philip Medal from the United Kingdom’s Royal Academy of Engineering, and the National Museum of the Surface Navy’s Freedom of the Seas Exploration and Innovation Award.

“I think that Dr. West is another one of those hidden figures in our military that play a critical role in the advancements that not only affected our ability to fire missiles accurately but also enable everyday life when you pick up your phone, and you’re trying to find something,” retired Navy Rear Adm. Sinclair Harris said in 2023.

Rest in peace, Gladys West.

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