The Sunshine Awards Organization in New Jersey announced on Wednesday, Jan. 21, the passing of Dr. Gladys West, a GPS pioneer honored by the Awards in 2019. She was 95.
Gil Figaro, Sr., Trinidadian-born founder and chairman of the Sunshine Awards Organization, told Caribbean Life: “Before smartphones found our location in seconds or satellites guided rescues, mathematician Dr. Gladys Brown West solved equations that changed the world. Working behind the scenes, she built the mathematical foundation for the Global Positioning System.”
“In an era when both her race and gender limited opportunity, she rose not only as a pioneer in science but as a testament to the power of perseverance, intellect, and unshakable purpose,” added Figaro.
He stated that Dr. West lived a life rooted in “humanity and determination.”
Dr. West was born on Oct. 27, 1930, in rural Sutherland, Virginia, and grew up on her family’s farm during the Great Depression.
Figaro said education was Dr. West’s escape route from the physical demands and economic hardship of farm life.
Figaro said education was Dr. West’s escape route from the physical demands and economic hardship of farm life.
Her brilliance set her apart: she was high school valedictorian and won a full scholarship to Virginia State College, a historically Black university.
After earning her mathematics degree, Dr. West taught in segregated schools, then began her groundbreaking work as a mathematician at the US Naval Proving Ground in Dahlgren, Virginia.
She became one of the first African American women in the facility’s computing division.
She became one of the first African American women in the facility’s computing division.
He said she later married fellow mathematician Ira West, and the two raised three children together.
Despite her demanding career, Dr. West continued her education and earned a Ph.D. at age 70 — a reminder that learning has no expiration date.
For decades, Dr. West’s contributions were largely unknown beyond scientific and military circles.
Despite her demanding career, Dr. West continued her education and earned a Ph.D. at age 70 — a reminder that learning has no expiration date.
For decades, Dr. West’s contributions were largely unknown beyond scientific and military circles.
“In her later years, the world began to recognize her extraordinary impact,” Figaro said. “She received numerous recognitions and awards for her pioneering work in satellite geodesy and GPS development.”
He said that among her most notable honors were her induction into the US Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers Hall of Fame, inclusion among the BBC’s 100 Women 2018, a Webby Lifetime Achievement Award, and the 2024 IEEE President’s Award.
He said that among her most notable honors were her induction into the US Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers Hall of Fame, inclusion among the BBC’s 100 Women 2018, a Webby Lifetime Achievement Award, and the 2024 IEEE President’s Award.
In 2019, she was presented with the Sunshine Award, honoring her profound influence on technology and her role as a trailblazer in science.
“Each recognition served as a long-overdue affirmation of a woman whose brilliance quietly shaped the modern world,” he said. “Dr. Gladys Brown West’s life reminds us that history is often shaped not only by those who stand in the spotlight but by those who labor faithfully in the background, solving problems that the future has not yet imagined.
“Every GPS-guided journey, every satellite-assisted rescue, every moment we rely on location technology, carries a quiet echo of her work,” he added.
“Her legacy is more than mathematics and models of the Earth’s shape — it is the enduring proof that brilliance can rise from the humblest beginnings, that perseverance can break through invisible barriers, and that one determined mind can alter the course of modern civilization.
“Dr. Gladys Brown West helped the world find its way — not only across oceans and highways, but toward a deeper appreciation of the hidden figures whose genius lights the path forward,” Figaro continued.
“Dr. Gladys Brown West helped the world find its way — not only across oceans and highways, but toward a deeper appreciation of the hidden figures whose genius lights the path forward,” Figaro continued.
“Dr. Gladys Brown West’s life proves that greatness does not need a spotlight to change the world. Her brilliance reshaped the modern world; yet, she carried her greatness with humility and grace.”
Figaro said it was an honor for the Sunshine Awards Organization to recognize Dr. West in 2019 for education and technology.
“Though she has departed this world, her legacy will forever guide humanity forward — just as her work continues to guide us every day through GPS,” he said. “The world is better because she lived.”
