The oldest person in the world, the French nun André, has died. A spokeswoman for the old people’s home for the woman born as Lucile Randon confirmed to the German Press Agency that the lady died in the night from Monday to Tuesday. She was 118 years old, as the mayor of her southern French town of Toulon, Hubert Falco, wrote on Twitter.
The Gerontology Research Group listed Sister André as the oldest living person since the end of April last year. Even before that, she was considered the oldest European. With her death, Maria Branyas Morera, who was born in the USA and lives in Spain, is now the oldest person in the world at the age of 115 in the ranking of the association of researchers.
She didn’t fear dying
Sister André was born on February 11, 1904 in Alès. She experienced two world wars, the outbreak of the Spanish flu and also survived several infections with the corona virus. She wasn’t afraid during the pandemic because she wasn’t afraid of dying, she told BFMTV after her recovery.
Being the oldest person in the world also had a bitter aftertaste for the nun. She told broadcaster BFMTV that it fills her with pride but is also a disaster. “It’s a sad honor. I feel like I’d be better off in heaven and God doesn’t want me.” Her spokesman David Tavella now wrote on Linkedin about Sister André’s death: “I’m sad but happy for her because she wanted to go to her beloved brother.”
A piece of chocolate a day
Despite her advanced age, the nun remained active for a long time. “They say that work kills. With me, work lets me live. I worked until the age of 108,” quoted the broadcaster BFMTV Sister André. A piece of chocolate a day made her life sweeter.
In her youth, the Frenchwoman worked as a private tutor and traveled from a small village in southern France to the city of Paris. It was not until she was in her early 40s that she entered a religious order.
Most recently, Sister André was in a wheelchair; she hadn’t seen well for a few years. She is an honorary citizen of the city of Toulon, where she has lived in the home for a number of years. Mayor Falco praised her as “incredibly modern” and a “nun with a big heart”.
