Mary Thom, feminist and former editor of Ms. magazine, died in a motorcycle crash in Yonkers on Friday.
Thom was riding her Honda motorcycle on the Saw Mill Parkway at around 4:20 p.m., when she was fatally struck by another vehicle.
Thom spent her life championing women; in addition to serving as the editor of Ms. magazine for 20 years, Thom is also the author of several books, and most recently served as editor of the Women's Media Center's features department.
"She had a gift for helping people tell their own story, not for helping them sound like others, but helping them find their own voice," Gloria Steinem, who co-founded Ms., told reporters.
One of Thom's greatest pleasures was riding her motorcycle, family members said. According to her nephew, she never owned a car and delighted in leading family trips to New Mexico and Glacier National Park.
Thom was apparently in Yonkers taking her 1996 Honda Magna 750 out of winter storage when the crash occurred. According to reports, she veered into traffic on the Saw Mill Parkway, struck one vehicle and was struck by another. Her sister told reporters that Thom had been preparing to fly to New Mexico to retrieve another motorcycle for a family trip.
[via CNN, photo via AP]