Maria Branyas Morera, the world’s oldest living person and a resident of Spain, has died at the age of 117.
Her family confirmed her passing on Tuesday, noting that she died peacefully in her sleep.
Branyas, who was born in San Francisco on March 4, 1907, lived through two world wars and numerous historical events.
“We will always remember her for her advice and her kindness,” her family wrote on social media.
Earlier on Tuesday, Branyas had posted about feeling “weak,” expressing her wishes not to mourn her passing.
“The time is near. Don’t cry, I don’t like tears. And above all, don’t suffer for me. Wherever I go, I will be happy,” she wrote.
Branyas, who had resided in the Santa Maria del Tura nursing home in Olot, Spain for the past two decades, was recognized by Guinness World Records as the world’s oldest person in January 2023.
Following her death, Japan’s Tomiko Itooka, born on May 23, 1908, is now the oldest living person at 116 years old.
Branyas’s longevity was attributed to genetics by her daughter, Rosa Moret.
“She has never gone to the hospital, she has never broken any bones, she is fine, she has no pain,” Moret told Catalan television in 2023.
Branyas’s life spanned significant global and historical changes, and she is remembered for her remarkable health and clarity of mind.