World’s oldest known person dies, French nun Lucile Randon, passed away at the age of 118, according to a spokesperson. Born in southern France on February 11, 1904, Randon, also known as Sister Andrée, died in her sleep at her nursing home in Toulon, as reported by spokesperson David Tavella. Tavella, of the Sainte-Catherine-Labouré nursing home, stated that although there is sadness, Randon’s passing is a liberation as it was her wish to be reunited with her beloved brother.
Randon, who was born when New York opened its first subway and the Tour de France had only been run once, was celebrated as the oldest European for a long time before Kane Tanaka from Japan, who was 119 years old, passed away last year, making Randon the longest-lived person on Earth. Prior to entering a convent in 1944 at the age of 40, Randon worked as a governor and tutor. She has been residing in nursing homes since 1979, and in the Toulon home since 2009.
In 2021, Randon overcame an episode of Covid-19, despite the virus spreading through the nursing home where she lived, resulting in the death of 10 other residents. In an interview with Var-Matin newspaper, Randon stated that she was unaware that she had contracted the virus. According to Tavella, Randon displayed no fear of the virus and instead was more concerned about the well-being of the other residents in the home, inquiring about her routine and if meal and bedtimes would change.
When asked if she was afraid of having Covid-19, Randon told France’s BFM television that she wasn’t scared because she wasn’t afraid of death. She also mentioned that she would have liked to be somewhere else, to be with her big brother, grandfather and grandmother. In 2020, Randon stated in an interview with French radio that she had no explanation for her longevity. She said, “I’ve no idea what the secret is. Only God can answer that question. I’ve had plenty of unhappiness in life and during the 1914-1918 war when I was a child, I suffered like everyone else.”