A French nun considered the world’s oldest person has died a few weeks short of her 119th birthday, her nursing home in southern France said on Wednesday.
Lucile Randon, known as Sister André, was born in the city of Ales, in the south of France, on February 11, 1904.
Nursing home spokesman David Tavella said he died at 2 am Tuesday at the Sainte-Catherine-Laboure nursing home in the southern port city of Toulon.
The Gerontology Research Group, which studies people aged 110 and over, named her “the world’s oldest known person” after the death of 119-year-old Kane Tanaka of Japan last year.
Sister André tested positive for coronavirus in January 2021, shortly before her 117th birthday, but she had so few symptoms that she didn’t even realize she was infected. Her survival made headlines both in France and in other nations.
When asked about his exceptional longevity after surviving two world wars, he told French media that the secret was “working… makes you live. I worked until I was 108 years old.”
The newspaper Free Midi reported that during a visit he made last May, the old woman suffered from age-related illnesses such as loss of sight, hearing problems and joint pain.
In that interview, Sister André recalled the highlights of her long life: “The most beautiful day of my life was when the Armistice was declared.” [final de la I Guerra Mundial] “and the population of Ales gathered in the main square to sing the French national anthem.”
In a statement, French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte saluted “this altruistic personality whom the French consider a reference, a source of pride and attachment.”
The text noted that Sister André saw 18 French presidents pass by.
Jeanne Calment, a woman who also lived in the south of France, died in 1997 at the age of 122. She is believed to hold the world longevity record.
Now the oldest known living person in the world is María Branyas Morera. She was born in the United States, she lives in Spain and is 115 years old.
