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Lucile Randon

Lucile Randon
DC
Randon as a young woman c. 1920s
Born(1904-02-11)11 February 1904
Alès, France
Died (aged 118 years, 340 days)
Toulon, France
Other namesSister André
OccupationCatholic nun
Known for

Lucile Randon DC (French: [ly.sil ʁɑ̃.dɔ̃]; 11 February 1904 – 17 January 2023), also known as Sister André (French: Sœur André), was a French supercentenarian who, until her death at the age of 118 years, 340 days, was the world's oldest verified living person following the death of Kane Tanaka on 19 April 2022. She is the fourth-oldest verified person ever,[1] as well as the oldest confirmed survivor of the COVID-19 pandemic, having tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 a month before her 117th birthday.[2][3]

As a young adult, Randon converted to Roman Catholicism and worked as a governess, teacher, nun, and missionary before retiring at the age of 75 in 1979. She lived in a nursing home in Toulon, France from 2009 until her death.

Personal life

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Lucile Randon as a child aged 8 months c. 1907

Randon was born on 11 February 1904 in Alès, France to Paul Randon and Alphonsine Delphine Yéta Soutoul. Her living siblings included three older brothers and a twin sister named Lydie, who died a year after they were born.[4][5] Lucile became a governess to three children in Marseille when she was twenty years old in 1924. She took on more responsibility when she was hired as both a governess and teacher by a prominent family, the Peugeots, at Versailles in 1928.[6][7] Her work as a governess and teacher at Versailles lasted until 1930 when she became governess for the Borionne family in Paris and then in Ardèche until 1944.[6][7]

Randon grew up in a Huguenot Protestant family and her paternal grandfather Casimir Randon (1822–1908) was a pastor.[5] She converted to Catholicism in 1923 at the age of 19.[5] She later joined the Catholic order Daughters of Charity in 1944, taking the name Sister André in honour of her elder brother.[4][5] After World War II ended, Randon went on a mission to a hospital in Vichy, where she served orphans and elders. Her mission lasted 18 years until she was sent to another hospital at La Baume-d'Hostun, Drôme, for night duty in 1963.[7] Randon retired from full-time work in 1979 and entered the EHPAD in the Marches at Savoie, where she continued to care for the elderly until she was 100 years old.[8] She moved to the Ste. Catherine Labouré retirement home in Toulon on 25 October 2009, at the age of 105.[4][9]

Health and longevity

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Randon was blind and used a wheelchair from the early 2010s.[5] In January 2021, she tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in an outbreak at her retirement home. She was asymptomatic and tested negative days before her 117th birthday, making her the oldest known survivor of the COVID-19 pandemic.[10][2][11]

After the death of Honorine Rondello on 19 October 2017, she became the oldest living person in France.[12] When she turned 115 in 2019, Pope Francis sent her a personal letter and blessed rosary.[4] In 2021, she said she was happy at her home, although she wished to join her grandparents and brother André in heaven.[4]

On her 118th birthday in February 2022, Randon received a birthday note from the French president, Emmanuel Macron.[13] On 19 April 2022, she became the world's oldest verified living person after the death of Kane Tanaka.[14] She felt this was a "sad honour", saying: "I feel I would be better off in heaven, but the good Lord doesn't want me yet." At that time, she was reported to still eat chocolate and drink a glass of wine each day.[13]

Randon died in her sleep from natural causes at her nursing home on 17 January 2023 at the age of 118 years and 340 days as the fourth-oldest verified person ever.[15][16][17] Maria Branyas then became the world's oldest validated living person. Branyas was born in 1907, and as such Randon was the last living person born in 1904.[18]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Dominic Punt (17 January 2023). "World's oldest person, Lucile Randon, dies aged 118". Guinness World Records. Archived from the original on 17 February 2023. Retrieved 21 February 2023. It's been an honour to record her story in the pages of the Guinness World Records book, and she will live on in history as the fourth oldest person ever authenticated.
  2. ^ a b "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.
  3. ^ Guy, Jack (11 February 2021). "Europe's oldest person, a 117-year-old French nun, survives COVID-19". WCVB. Archived from the original on 14 November 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d e Peiser, Jaclyn; Hassan, Jennifer (11 February 2021). "Nun who survived flu pandemic, both world wars and coronavirus celebrates 117th birthday with red wine". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on 15 February 2021. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d e Viet, Cyprien; Jozeau, Anne-Quitterie (10 February 2021). "Sœur André fête ses 117 ans et souhaite un bon anniversaire à Radio Vatican". Vatican News (in French). Archived from the original on 20 February 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  6. ^ a b "Lucile Randon, la doyenne – Musique d'une vie". Mairie de Cros (in French). 2017. Archived from the original on 26 January 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  7. ^ a b c "La doyenne de Toulon a 112 ans". Mairie de Toulon (in French). 9 February 2016. Archived from the original on 20 February 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2022. (some dates are erroneous)
  8. ^ "Heaven can wait: How the super-centenarians live". France24. 10 February 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  9. ^ "Europe's oldest person, 117-year-old French nun, survives COVID-19". Reuters. 12 February 2021. Archived from the original on 6 March 2021. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  10. ^ Peltier, Elian (10 February 2021). "A French Nun Turns 117 After Knocking Down Covid-19". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 10 March 2021. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  11. ^ Willsher, Kim (9 February 2021). "Europe's oldest person survives COVID and set to celebrate 117th birthday". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 10 February 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  12. ^ "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.
  13. ^ a b Bouvier, Simon; Xu, Xiaofei; Knight, Camille; Lemercier, Elias (26 April 2022). "The world's oldest person is a French nun who enjoys chocolate and wine". CNN. Archived from the original on 28 April 2022. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  14. ^ "French nun Sister Andre, 118, claims title of world's oldest person". France24. 25 February 2022. Archived from the original on 25 April 2022. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  15. ^ "World's oldest person dies at age of 118". RTÉ News. 17 January 2023. Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  16. ^ "Mort de la doyenne de l'humanité : la Française sœur André est décédée à 118 ans". Le Parisien. 17 January 2023. Archived from the original on 17 January 2023.
  17. ^ "Sister André, World's Oldest Known Person, Dies at 118". The New York Times. 18 January 2023. Archived from the original on 16 July 2023. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  18. ^ "World's oldest living person confirmed as US-born Spanish woman". Guinness World Records. 19 January 2023. Archived from the original on 20 September 2023. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
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