Jump to content

Lucile Randon

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Ayuta Tonomura (talk | contribs) at 21:23, 19 January 2023 (→Biography). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Lucile Randon
DC
File:LucileRandon2019.webp
Randon in 2019
Born
Lucile Randon

(1904-02-11)11 February 1904
Alès, France
Died17 January 2023(2023-01-17) (aged 118)
Toulon, France
Other namesSister André
OccupationCatholic nun
Known forOldest known living person
(19 April 2022 – 17 January 2023)

Lucile Randon DC (French: [ly.sil ʁɑ̃.dɔ̃]; 11 February 1904 – 17 January 2023), also known as Sister André (Template:Lang-fr), was a French supercentenarian. Living to the age of 118 years and 340 days, she had been the world's oldest verified living person since 19 April 2022, following the death of Kane Tanaka.[1][2] She was the oldest known survivor of the COVID-19 pandemic, having tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 a month before her 117th birthday.[3][4]

Randon was a Roman Catholic nun, having converted to Roman Catholicism as a young adult, working as a governess, teacher, and missionary before retiring at the age of 75. She resided in a nursing home in Toulon, France, from 2009 until her death in 2023.

Biography

Lucile Randon as a child c. 1907–1910

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.[5][6] Lucile became a governess to three children in Marseille when she was twelve years old in 1916. She took on more responsibility when she was hired as both a governess and teacher to a prominent family at Versailles in 1922.[7] Her work as a governess and teacher at Versailles lasted until 1936.[7]

Randon as a young woman in the 1920s

Randon grew up in a Protestant family and her grandfather was a pastor.[6] She converted to Catholicism in 1923 at the age of 19.[6] She later joined the Catholic order Daughters of Charity in 1944, taking the name Sister André in honour of her elder brother.[5][6] 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 a retirement home in Toulon on 25 October 2009, at the age of 105.[5][9]

Health and longevity

Randon was blind and used a wheelchair from the early 2010s.[6] In January 2021, Randon 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.[1][3][10]

After the death of Honorine Rondello on 19 October 2017, she became the oldest living person in France.[11] When she turned 115 in 2019, Pope Francis sent her a personal letter and blessed rosary.[5] In 2021, she said she was happy at her home, although she wished to join her grandparents and brother André in heaven.[5]

On her 118th birthday in February 2022, Randon received a birthday note from the French president, Emmanuel Macron.[12] On 19 April 2022, she became the world's oldest verified living person after the death of Kane Tanaka.[2] 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.[12]

Randon died in her sleep at her nursing home in Toulon on 17 January 2023, at the age of 118 years and 340 days.[13][14] At the time of her death, she was the fourth-oldest verified person ever.[15] Following her death, María Branyas Morera became the world's oldest validated living person.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b 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.
  2. ^ a b "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.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ 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.
  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.
  8. ^ "Heaven can wait: How the super-centenarians live". France24. 10 February 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  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. ^ 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.
  11. ^ "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.
  12. ^ 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.
  13. ^ "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.
  14. ^ "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.
  15. ^ "Sister André, World's Oldest Known Person, Dies at 118". The New York Times. 18 January 2023. Retrieved 19 January 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
Preceded by Oldest living person
19 April 2022–17 January 2023 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lucile_Randon&oldid=1134659343"