Lucile Randon

French Catholic sister and supercentenarian (1904–2023)

Lucile Randon (11 February 1904 – 17 January 2023) or Sister André, was a French supercentenarian and Roman Catholic nun. She was the world's oldest living person from 19 April 2022, after Kane Tanaka's death, and until her death on 17 January 2023.[2] She was also the oldest person to ever receive the title of the world’s oldest living person (118 years and 67 days).

Lucile Randon
Randon, c. 1920s
Randon, circa 1920s
Born
Lucile Randon

(1904-02-11)11 February 1904
Died(2023-01-17)17 January 2023
(aged 118 years, 340 days)
Toulon, France[1]
Other namesSister André
OccupationCatholic nun
Known forOldest known living person
(19 April 2022 – 17 January 2023)

Biography

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Randon was born in Alès, on 11 February 1904. She worked as a governess in many families, and became a religious sister at age 41. She worked in a hospital in Vichy for 31 years, then moved to a nursing home in Haute-Savoie for 30 years, and finally to Toulon in 2009. Randon is known by her religious name Sœur Andrée. She used a wheelchair.[3]

Randon had three brothers, and a twin sister who died as an infant. On her birthday she said: "115 years is enough, I hope the good lord takes me this year."[3]

At age 116, Randon caught and recovered from COVID-19.[4] She was the oldest known survivor of the virus.[5][6]

Randon died in her sleep from natural causes at her nursing home in Toulon on 17 January 2023. She was 118 years and 340 days.[7] At the time of her death, she was the oldest living person in the world. She is also the first person ever to die at 118 years old.

Longevity milestones

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  • 19 October 2017 - Honorine Rondello died. Lucile Randon become the oldest living person in France.[8]
  • 18 Jun 2019 - Maria Giuseppa Robucci of Italy died. Lucile Randon become the oldest living person in Europe.
  • 11 February 2021 – Lucile Randon became the 10th verified person in history to reach age 117, and the 2nd French person to do so.
  • 5 October 2021 - Francisca Celsa dos Santos of Brazil died. Lucile Randon became the last verified surviving person born in 1904.
  • 11 February 2022 – Lucile Randon became the 4th verified person in history to reach age 118, and the first to do so since Kane Tanaka, who celebrated her 118th birthday on 2 January 2021.
  • 19 April 2022 - Kane Tanaka died. Lucile Randon, aged 118 years and 67 days, become the world's oldest living person.
  • 13 December 2022 - Juliette Bilde died. Lucile Randon, aged 118 years and 305 days, became the last surviving French person born in the 1900s decade.
  • 17 January 2023 - Lucile Randon died in less than a month before her 119th birthday. At the time of her death, she was the fourth-oldest authenticated person ever,[9] behind Jeanne Calment, Kane Tanaka, and Sarah Knauss.

References

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  1. "World's oldest person dies at age of 118". RTÉ News. 17 January 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  2. Lefèvre, Thibault; Emanuele, Valeria (11 February 2019). "Sœur André a 115 ans aujourd'hui et deux souhaits" [Sister André turns 115 today, and has two wishes] (in French). France Inter. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Dubault, Fabrice (12 February 2019). "Gard : l'Alésienne soeur André, doyenne des Français, a fêté ses 115 ans à Toulon" [Gard: Sister André from Alès, oldest woman in France, celebrated her 115th birthday in Toulon] (in French). France 3. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  4. "World's second-oldest person survives COVID-19 at age 116". AP NEWS. 2021-02-09. Retrieved 2021-02-09.
  5. "Europe's oldest person survives Covid just before 117th birthday". BBC News. 9 February 2021. Archived from the original on 10 February 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  6. "Europe's oldest person, a 117-year-old French nun, survives COVID-19". WCVB. 11 February 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  7. "Mort de la doyenne de l'humanité : la Française sœur André est décédée à 118 ans". Le Parisien. Agence France-Presse. 17 January 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  8. "World's second-oldest person survives COVID-19 at age 116". ABC7 Chicago. 10 February 2021. Archived from the original on 19 February 2021. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  9. "Sister André, World's Oldest Known Person, Dies at 118". The New York Times. 18 January 2023. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
Records
Preceded by
Kane Tanaka
Oldest verified living person[broken anchor]
19 April 2022 - 17 January 2023
Succeeded by
María Branyas Morera