The world’s oldest person, Maria Branyas Morera, has died at the age of 117. Born in San Francisco on March 4, 1907, Maria lived through some of the most meaningful happenings of modern history, from both wars to the Spanish Civil War.
In the early years of her life, Maria spent some time in the United States before moving to Spain with her family at the age of eight. Most of her life was spent in Catalonia, after which she moved into the Residència Santa María del Tura nursing home 22 years ago, where she now resides.
GWR confirmed Maria as the oldest living person in the world in January 2023 following the death of 118-year-old Sister André of France. She was full of wit and wisdom, and her deep thoughts on longevity became very famous on social media, where she would share them with the help of her daughter. Her deep feelings about a long life were emotional stability, positivity, and attachment to family and friends.
Maria’s family announced on social media that she had died peacefully, just as she wanted, with no pain or noise; she had simply fallen asleep. In those final days of her life, Maria wrote a letter to her loved ones in the following moving lines: “Death will find me consumed by so much living, but I want it to find me smiling, free and satisfied.”
Maria Branyas Morera left this world with the beaming legacy of being one of the most ancient verified people to have survived in history, and she did so with much resilience and grace. Of course, she will be known more for her longevity, but much more than that is the lasting spirit and the wisdom passed on from living such an extraordinary life to those who followed her amazing journey.
