Evelyn Lauder, Creator of Breast Cancer’s ‘Pink Ribbon’ Dead At 75

Breast cancer ‘pink ribbon’ creator Eveyln Lauder died on Saturday from complications caused by ovarian cancer, she was 75-years old. The daughter-in-law of cosmetics tycoon Estée Lauder created the pink ribbon with a friend three years after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 1989.

After the ribbon was created Lauder and husband Leonard Lauder paid for the first ribbons themselves and had them distributed at department store cosmetics counters hoping to remind women to have routine breast exams performed, the campaign was a success and the pink ribbon became synonymous with the fight against the deadly disease.

Lauder once said of her decision to create the awareness ribbons:

“There had been no publicity about breast cancer, but a confluence of events—the pink ribbon, the color, the press, partnering with Elizabeth Hurley, having Estée Lauder as an advertiser in so many magazines and persuading so many of my friends who are health and beauty editors to do stories about breast health—got people talking.”

Pink has long since become the color of cancer awareness with the Susan G. Komen organization and various other groups using the pink color to raise funds in their fights against the disease.

No news has been posted yet about Lauder’s funeral services which are expected to be a private affair.

Lauder lived a long fulfilling life as an advocate for women’s health and she will truly be missed by her friends, family and millions of women who received help because of her push to raise cancer awareness to an entirely new level.

[Image via CHEN WEI SENG / Shutterstock.com]