Her husband, Charles Rogers, said she died in a hospital from complications of two recent heart attacks.
In 1968, after leaving IBM, Ms. Conway was among the earliest Americans to undergo gender reassignment surgery.
But she kept it a secret, living in what she called “stealth” mode for 31 years out of fear of career reprisals and concern for her physical safety.
She rebuilt her career from scratch, eventually landing at the fabled Xerox PARC laboratory, where she again made important contributions in her field.
After she publicly disclosed her transition in 1999, she became a prominent transgender activist.
Persons:
Lynn Conway, —, Charles Rogers, Conway
Organizations:
IBM, Xerox PARC
Locations:
Jackson, Mich