Compassion & Choices mourns the passing of Dolores Huerta

Dolores Huerta, 1930 – 2026, a lifelong champion of justice, dignity, and self-determination.

Compassion & Choices is heartbroken by the passing of Dolores Huerta, a civil rights icon, labor leader, and dear friend to our movement.

Dolores spent her life fighting for the dignity of farmworkers, women, immigrants, and families who were too often left out. She believed dignity does not end when life comes to a close. She saw end-of-life care options as a civil rights issue, and she said so plainly, in English and in Spanish, to communities that rarely heard these conversations in their own language.

Dolores lent her voice and her name to our work across the country. She urged Californians to learn about their rights under the End of Life Option Act. She stood with advocates in Nevada. And she came home to New Mexico, where she was born, to help pass the Elizabeth Whitefield End-of-Life Options Act. As a member of our Latino Leadership Council, she helped open doors that had been closed for generations.

“Dolores taught all of us that every person is a potential activist and every moment is a chance to organize,” said Kevin Díaz, CEO of Compassion & Choices. “When she spoke about end-of-life choices, people listened, because they knew she had spent her whole life standing with them. Our work with Latino families exists in large part because she walked ahead of us and showed us the way.”

We send our deepest condolences to the Huerta family, the Dolores Huerta Foundation, and everyone whose life she touched. Her family has asked for privacy, and we honor that request.

¡Sí se puede, Dolores! Descanse en paz.