Lucy Ozarin (August 8, 1914 – September 17, 2017) was an American psychiatrist notable for her military service and long career in mental health. Born in Brooklyn, New York, she became one of the early women physicians to serve as a psychiatrist in the United States Navy. Her life spanned more than a century, and she remained active in historical and professional writing well into advanced age.

Career and military service

Ozarin trained and practiced as a psychiatrist at a time when few women held such roles in the armed forces. She was among the first women psychiatrists commissioned in the Navy and, during World War II, counted among the small group of seven women Navy psychiatrists who served in that conflict. Her duties combined clinical care, consultation, and administrative work typical of military psychiatric officers, addressing psychological casualties and morale issues among service members.

Contributions and later activities

Following her military service, Ozarin continued to work in psychiatry and public health, contributing to patient care, training, and organizational efforts. In an era when women were often underrepresented in medical leadership, her career illustrated expanding roles for women physicians in both civilian and military medicine.

Historical writing and public engagement

Remarkably, in her late nineties Ozarin turned to digital scholarship and public education: she wrote more than fifty short biographies of psychiatrists on Wikipedia, sharing historical perspectives, professional achievements, and contextual information for modern readers. This late-life activity reflected her commitment to preserving the history of her profession and making it available to a broad audience.

Legacy and death

Ozarin lived to be 103. She died in Bethesda, Maryland, on September 17, 2017, of respiratory failure. Her legacy is noted for bridging clinical psychiatry, military service, and public history-writing, and for serving as an example of sustained professional engagement across a long lifespan.

  • Notable facts: early woman Navy psychiatrist; World War II service; prolific Wikipedia contributor in advanced age.
  • Fields: psychiatry, military medicine, medical history.
  • Impact: helped document psychiatric practitioners and history for public reference and education.