World’s oldest person, 117-year-old California woman, dies ‘happy’

The world has lost its oldest known living person, Maria Branyas Morera, a Spanish woman who was born in the United States. She passed away at the remarkable age of 117 years and 168 days.

Her family announced her death on social media, stating, “Maria Branyas (Morera) has left us. She died as she wished: in her sleep, peacefully and without pain. We will always remember her for her advice and kindness.”

Maria was born in California on March 4, 1907, but had been living in Spain at the time of her passing.

Throughout her extensive life, she endured the hardships of the 1918 flu pandemic as well as the recent COVID-19 pandemic—experiences many seniors around the globe did not survive.

The Gerontology Research Group, which verifies the ages of individuals believed to be 110 years or older, acknowledged her status as the oldest verified person before the family’s notification.

In their statement, Guinness World Records expressed sorrow at the news of Morera’s passing, calling her the oldest known person in the world.

She was recognized as the eighth-oldest person with a verified age in history.

Just days before she died, the supercentenarian, residing in the town of Olot in northeastern Spain, indicated in a post that she was feeling “weak.” She reflected about her impending death, stating, “The time is near. Don’t cry, I don’t like tears. And above all, don’t suffer for me. Wherever I go, I will be happy.”

Morera also shared her thoughts with her family, saying, “One day I will leave here. I will not try coffee again, nor eat yogurt… I will also leave my memories, my reflections, and I will cease to exist in this body. One day I don’t know, but it’s very close, this long journey will be over. Death will find me worn out from having lived so long, but I want it to find me smiling, free and satisfied.”

The title of the oldest known person in history belongs to Jeanne Calment from Arles, France, who reached nearly 123 years of age. Calment lived to be 122 years and 164 days, having been born on February 21, 1875, and passing away on August 4, 1997.

Her extraordinary longevity garnered significant media attention and prompted numerous studies into her health and lifestyle, making her the only person verified to reach 120 years and beyond.

The last known oldest person before Morera to die was Lucile Randon, a nun known as Sister André. Randon was born in the southern French town of Ales and lived to the age of 118, passing away shortly before her 119th birthday on January 17, 2023.

The current oldest living person, as per the Gerontology Research Group, is Tomiko Itooka, a woman from Japan born on May 23, 1908. At the time of Morera’s death, Itooka was 116 years and 89 days old, representing one of seven verified female supercentenarians over the age of 110 worldwide.

No males are currently on the list of the oldest living individuals.

Source: USA TODAY