Sandra Day O'Connor death: Nation, Arizona mourn first woman Supreme Court justice

Sandra Day O'Connor grew up on a dusty, remote Arizona ranch in the 1930s and 1940s and retired as an associate justice of the Arizona Supreme Court. She was the first woman appointed to the nation's highest court, by President Ronald Reagan in 1981, and will be remembered as one of the most influential women in American history.

The Arizona Republic has covered her story for years. Here is the latest on the woman, her legacy and those who are remembering her today.

What did Sandra Day O’Connor do after retiring from the Supreme Court?

After Sandra Day O'Connor left the U.S. Supreme Court in 2006, she didn't live the life of a quiet retiree.

She stepped down at 75, a relatively young age and while she was still in good health, to help care for her husband, John Jay O'Connor. That gave her many more years to serve the public in other capacities, from sitting on boards to starting civic organizations to teaching and writing children's books.

Here’s what her life was like after her return to Arizona.

— Republic staff

What were some of Sandra Day O'Connor's most influential cases?

Sandra Day O'Connor saw herself as an old-school conservative.

Opinions she wrote on controversial matters, such as abortion and gay rights, didn't come out of liberal leanings, but rather out of a firm belief in the rights of individuals to decide crucial issues in their own lives, free of government interference.

Here are some of her most important cases, including Casey, affirmative action and gay rights.

— Republic staff

Sandra Day O’Connor’s rise to Supreme Court justice

On July 7, 1981, many Americans heard of Sandra Day O'Connor for the first time.

In a surprise, then-President Ronald Reagan nominated the little-known judge on Arizona's Court of Appeals to become the first woman on the U.S. Supreme Court.

O’Connor had connections that would help any contender for the bench, including ties to sitting Supreme Court justices. In reality, she had almost no competition. Reagan had interviewed only O'Connor.

By the time she arrived in Washington, D.C., to face senators considering whether to confirm her, she had already changed America's relationship with the third branch of government. Her confirmation hearings would become the first to be broadcast live on television in their entirety.

This is how the confirmation happened and how O’Connor handled the process.

— Ronald J. Hansen

At Stanford, Sandra Day O’Connor broke barriers as a student

Long before Sandra Day O'Connor became the first female U.S. Supreme Court justice, she was breaking barriers at Stanford University as a teenager.

O'Connor applied to Stanford at age 16. She was exceptionally bright and completed her economics degree in three years as opposed to four, according to a 1981 Stanford Law School article. She then went on to get her law degree at Stanford Law School.

Students recalled O'Connor's intellect. They also noted that they "never thought of her as a woman because she never isolated herself in that way" and she was not only bright but also "lots of fun," according to the article.

— Republic staff

Lazy B Ranch still ‘very much the way it was’ in Sandra Day O’Connor’s youth

The current owner and operator of the Lazy B Ranch, where Sandra Day O’Connor grew up, said it was still a working cattle ranch, running much the way it was when O’Connor lived there.

“Literally, the fence lines have not changed. The corral lines have not changed. Even the colors of the cattle haven’t changed,” ranch owner Kristen Sorensen said when reached by phone on Friday. “It’s still very much the way it was when it was founded in 1881.”

The ranch straddles both Arizona and New Mexico. But the home where O’Connor lived was in Arizona, primarily because that was where her father found water and dug a well.

O’Connor wrote a book about her life on the ranch with her brother, Alan Day. "Lazy B: Growing up on a Cattle Ranch in the American Southwest" was released in 2002.

The ranch, much of which is on leased federal and state land, has no marker or plaque designating it as the place where O’Connor lived.

Sorensen said she would be open to having the home become a museum of some sort. She lives in the bunkhouse and the home is mostly vacant, though she did use the dining room for Thanksgiving.

— Richard Ruelas

'A person for all seasons' and a trailblazer: O'Connor's life remembered

Retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor was remembered by the nation and world as a trailblazer who opened doors for women and a jurist who fought to hold the center in the court's rulings.

Tributes poured in for an Arizona icon and giant in the state's public life for half a century.

Arizona's congressional delegation observed a moment of silence on the House floor in honor of O'Connor's passing.

These are some of the tributes to O'Connor shared after her death on Dec. 1.

— Republic staff

Sandra Day O’Connor was ‘a pioneer’ in Supreme Court history

Amanda Van Arcken, 48, who came to Washington, D.C., from Oregon to attend a conference, said in front of the Supreme Court that she was saddened to hear of O’Connor’s death.

“She's a pioneer when it comes to being a woman and working the position that she did,” Van Arcken told USA TODAY. “Unfortunately, she lived just long enough to see a lot of her work dismantled.”

Van Arcken was one of a few visitors outside the Supreme Court after O’Connor’s death on Friday morning. She said strike-downs of some of O’Connor’s decisions had an especially negative impact on women.

“It's terrible for women everywhere,” she said. “I think it has to be especially painful for someone who worked so hard to have her judgments seen for good judgments, and not based on gender.”

As the first woman on the court, O’Connor inspired other women to see themselves in positions of power, Van Arcken said.

“It's important for all of us when we're growing up to see people who look like us in places of power and know that our voices can be heard and seen.”

— Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY

Sandra Day O’Connor was shaped by life on ranch

The first female U.S. Supreme Court justice was raised on a remote ranch that straddles the Arizona and New Mexico borders. She rode horses, used a cattle tank as a swimming pool and became accustomed to a cowhand life that didn't include the comforts and distractions offered by a city.

The ranch, located in the southeastern part of Arizona spilling into the southwestern portion of New Mexico, is unspoiled and rugged. Much of its 250 square miles is high desert, marked more by low brush than cactus. A river, the Gila, flows through the ranch, but most times only at an anemic level.

See how life on the ranch helped forge O’Connor into the Supreme Court justice she became.

— Richard Ruelas

Phoenix-area schools named after Sandra Day O'Connor honor late justice 

Two Valley schools named after the late Sandra Day O'Connor remembered her legacy on Friday morning.

Sandra Day O'Connor High School collectively mourned the Friday death of the former Supreme Court justice, an Arizona icon who instilled a sense of civic engagement that remained alive and well on campus.

Founded in 2002, the high school is located in north Phoenix within the Deer Valley Union School District. Principal Lynn Miller said O'Connor's legacy of civic engagement was at the forefront of the agenda for the school’s 2,500 students.

"For us to have a namesake like hers that’s gritty, a female leader, someone who can collaborate with both sides, it's always an honor to say she represents us," Miller said.

The school held a moment of silence when news of O'Connor's death made its way to campus.

Susan Tinich, principal of Sandra Day O'Connor Elementary School in Mesa, gave a written statement honoring the late judge.

"Sandra Day O’Connor Elementary mourns the passing of their school namesake, Sandra Day O’Connor," Tinich said. "As the first female United States Supreme Court member, Justice O’Connor was a trailblazer and historic US and Arizona figure.

"The students and staff at O’Connor Elementary will continue to live and exemplify the values of Justice O’Connor daily. The school is exploring additional ways to memorialize Justice O’Connor on campus and will announce this soon. Thank you, Justice O’Connor, for the incredible legacy you left."

— Reynaldo Covarrubias and Perry Vandell

These Arizona schools and buildings are named after Sandra Day O’Connor 

Sandra Day O'Connor's legacy can be seen across the Phoenix area on buildings dedicated to her work in Arizona and as a Supreme Court justice.

Arizona State University's law school was renamed the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law on April 5, 2006. It is the only law school in the country named after a woman.

These are other important buildings and schools named after her.

— Republic staff

White House visitors: Sandra Day O'Connor ‘set a precedent' 

Shock and sadness rippled through the line for a White House tour on Friday morning as visitors received news alerts of O'Connor's death. Linda Stipa and Nancy Lane, who came to Washington from Haddonfield, New Jersey, to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary, felt the weight of the moment.

"She set a precedent," Lane, 64, said of the first female Supreme Court justice.

Since O'Connor's departure, Lane said she feels some justices bring their personal political agendas to their judgments on the court. To Lane, O'Connor's tenure represented a more positive time for the nation's highest court.

"They were held in higher regard back then," she said. "It feels to me they're more political now than they should be."

— Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY

Sandra Day O’Connor was not a ‘swing vote’ on Supreme Court 

Sandra Day O'Connor was a solid conservative when she came to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1981, which is why President Ronald Reagan nominated her.

But back then, being conservative was not a political stance. It wasn't a synonym for Republican. For most of her time there, the Supreme Court was made up almost entirely of Republican appointments.

As the court shifted farther to the right with subsequent appointments over the years, O'Connor ended up in the middle philosophically. And because she approached each case separately according to its unique facts, her vote was not predictable.

However, she did not like the term "swing vote."

— Republic staff

Tempe’s Sandra Day O'Connor House quiet after namesake’s passing 

The historic Sandra Day O'Connor House in Tempe was quiet on Friday afternoon, with both of its security gates shut and no visitors on or around the property.

O’Connor lived in the home with her family from when it was built in 1959 until 1981. The former Supreme Court Justice would hold meetings with her colleagues at the home during her time as majority leader in the Arizona State Legislature, during which the house “provided a forum for many amicable resolutions to heated political discussions,” according to the city of Tempe.

The home has served as Tempe’s “Center for Civic Discourse” since 2009, when it was relocated to Papago Park from its original lot on Denton Lane in Paradise Valley.

— Sam Kmack

Sandra Day O’Connor Courthouse visitors, employees reflect on justice’s legacy 

Inside the Sandra Day O’Connor Courthouse in downtown Phoenix, a proud, bronze statue of the courthouse’s namesake is still presiding over the cavernous lobby.

An inscription at the base reads: “Be independent, be fair, venture to be wise.”

Custodian Christopher Wade on Friday stopped to reflect upon the statue that he has passed by countless times in his 5 years working at the courthouse.

“She was a trailblazer,” Wade said. “She was the first lady to do what she did.”

Wade said his grandmother, like Justice O’Connor, grew up on a ranch.

Just past the statue, a joyous noise arose from the Special Proceedings Courtroom, where around one hundred new Americans were completing a naturalization ceremony.

Carlie Roncada of Goodyear was inside the courtroom with her daughter, watching the ceremony.

“It’s pretty impressive that she was the first woman to be on the Supreme Court,” she said of O’Connor. “As a woman with a young girl, having people who can set great examples and be in such a place of power is important.”

Outside the courtroom, Jennifer Mongelli of Phoenix lamented O’Conner’s death. “It’s really hard that these icons are starting to leave us,” she said.

Joe Gavin, also of Phoenix, said O’Connor gave him a sense of pride.

“The fact that she broke that barrier was monumental progress for women and the legal profession,” Gavin said. “She was a really intelligent, ethical person you could count on to come to the right decisions at the Supreme Court.”

— Jimmy Jenkins

Supreme Court justices past and present hail Sandra Day O’Connor’s impact 

Current and former Supreme Court justices lauded Sandra Day O’Connor as a trailblazer who exemplified kindness, warmth and intelligence.

“A daughter of the American Southwest, Sandra Day O’Connor blazed a historic trail as our Nation’s first female Justice,” Chief Justice John Roberts said in a statement Friday.

“She met that challenge with undaunted determination, indisputable ability, and engaging candor. We at the Supreme Court mourn the loss of a beloved colleague, a fiercely independent defender of the rule of law, and an eloquent advocate for civics education. And we celebrate her enduring legacy as a true public servant and patriot.”

See how her colleagues and successors on the court celebrated her life.

Was Sandra Day O’Connor a feminist? 

Sandra Day O'Connor broke an important barrier when she joined the U.S. Supreme Court in 1981 and became the first woman ever to hold the job.

She's undoubtedly blazed trails for other women, including the five female justices who followed on the high court.

O'Connor didn't call herself a feminist — she explicitly said she wasn't one. But her position as a female in male-dominated spaces played a role in her decision-making and who she was as a justice.

O'Connor eluded categorization.

— Republic staff

Media coverage of O’Connor’s death reflected the quiet power of her life 

Sandra Day O’Connor’s death made instant news, nationally and internationally, and for good reason. As the first woman appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court, she is a historic figure.

Then George Santos got kicked out of the U.S. Congress.

Media went into full-Santos mode. The New York Times and Washington Post bumped O’Connor’s obituary down their home pages for Santos. Cable news jumped all over the Santos story. It seemed fitting. After all, O’Connor’s appointment to the court was big news. Then she settled in for a career of quiet excellence, punctuated by major cases like the 2000 election and abortion rights. She didn’t hog the limelight and she didn’t make headlines for luxury cruises and private jet trips. She did her work, and she did it well.

And soon media came around. The Times moved her back to the top. MSNBC devoted a segment to her life, as did CNN and Fox News.

“An icon for women across America has died,” Andrea Mitchell said on MSNBC. “This sad day for a great lady, and the country.”

Pete Williams, the former NBC News justice correspondent, noted that “in the later years when O’Connor was on the court, it really was her court. As Sandra went, so went the court.”

Media coverage of O’Connor’s death, and more importantly her life, felt like a throwback. Hers is too good a story to ignore.

— Bill Goodykoontz

Former clerk calls Sandra Day O’Connor ‘best boss and mentor a person could ask for’ 

The late Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s tenure on the high court not only impacted the nation’s laws, but also the legal team she worked with in that time.

Kent Syverud clerked for O’Connor in the 1984-85 term and has since become the chancellor of Syracuse University. She was on hand after his appointment to the post in 2013.

“Most people will remember Sandra Day O’Connor as a trailblazer, being the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court,” he wrote in a statement Friday.

“While true, I knew her as so much more. She was a brilliant, principled, and deeply decent human being who worked incredibly hard and effectively all her life for what she believed in: democracy, the rule of law, and a civil society where everyone had an equal chance to excel and to contribute. She was also the best boss and mentor a person could ask for. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to work with her, learn from her, and know her as a friend.”

— Ronald J. Hansen

Sandra Day O'Connor rose from activist to Arizona lawmaker 

Sandra Day O'Connor was appointed to the Arizona Senate by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. She served as an Arizona state senator from 1969 to 1974, the start of a 37-year career in public office that led to the nation's highest court.

O'Connor's time as a lawmaker would foreshadow her career as a judge.

She was a Republican, but far from ideological. She was dogged about facts, but congenial. She was a deft debater, but friendly with Democrats and more conservative members of her own party.

— Republic staff

Obamas hail Sandra Day O'Connor for ‘forging a new path’

Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama praised the late Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor for rising above the expectations of her era.

“When a young Sandra Day graduated from Stanford Law School near the top of her class — in two years instead of the usual three — she was offered just one job in the private sector,” the former president wrote. “Her prospective employer asked her how well she typed and told her there might be work for her as a legal secretary.

“Fortunately for us, she set her sights a little higher — becoming the first woman to serve as a U.S. Supreme Court justice. As a judge and Arizona legislator, a cancer survivor and child of the Texas plains, Sandra Day O’Connor was like the pilgrim in the poem she sometimes quoted — forging a new path and building a bridge behind her for all young women to follow. Michelle and I send our thoughts to Sandra’s family and everyone who learned from and admired her.”

— Ronald J. Hansen

What Sandra Day O’Connor was like as a mom

Sandra Day O'Connor was born into an era when women were not supposed to have careers. Much less become U.S. Supreme Court justices.

Women were expected to keep impeccable households, prepare dinner each evening for their husbands and manage their children's after-school activities.

If a woman did decide to wade into the workforce, there was immense pressure not only to match their male counterparts' success but also exceed it, if they wanted to be taken seriously.

O'Connor knew that to succeed in both roles — a legal professional and a mother of three boys — she had to strike an impeccable balance.

Here’s how she raised three boys and broke the glass ceiling.

— Republic staff

Sandra Day O'Connor's legacy lives on in metro Phoenix

Sandra Day O'Connor was best known for her work on the U.S. Supreme Court, but her name and legacy abound in the Phoenix area, where her house remains and civics initiatives she pioneered continue.

After retiring from the court in January 2006, O'Connor went to work igniting passions for civics education and friendly, informed discourse.

In 2009, she founded the Sandra Day O'Connor Institute, now housed at the Arizona State University law school that also bears her name.

She also fought to preserve and relocate the adobe house she and her late husband, John, built in the 1950s in Paradise Valley. The house, now located in Papago Park, is open to the public for events.

Here’s how her legacy lingers in Phoenix.

— Republic Staff

Sandra Day O’Connor funeral plans still unknown 

Service plans and tributes for the late Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor were not immediately available Friday, but her brother previously indicated she wanted to be cremated with her remains left at the family’s ranch in Arizona.

The Supreme Court did not release official plans early Friday involving the 93-year-old who was the first woman to sit on the high court in the nation’s history.

She died Friday of complications related to advanced dementia and a respiratory illness.

— Ronald J. Hansen

How Sandra Day O’Connor embodies Arizona

Technically speaking, she was born in Texas. And raised on a ranch that jutted into New Mexico.

But Sandra Day O'Connor's home was in Arizona. And that was where she spent much of her childhood and started her political and judicial lives.

She also came to embody what it meant to be from the Grand Canyon State. It was something of a novelty that a U.S. Supreme Court justice would come from a dusty, remote outpost. And it played into a romanticizing of what, in reality, was a rough and rugged upbringing.

— Richard Ruelas

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Sandra Day O'Connor death: Reaction, funeral news