MADRID: Maria Branyas, who was considered the world’s oldest person at 117, has passed away, her family confirmed on Tuesday in Spain. The family shared the news through Branyas’ X account, stating, “Maria Branyas has left us. She has gone the way she wanted: in her sleep, at peace, and without pain.”

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Branyas, born in San Francisco on March 4, 1907, was recognized as the oldest living person by the Gerontology Research Group after the death of French nun Lucile Randon last year. Following her death, Japan’s Tomiko Itooka, aged 116, is now the oldest person listed by the group.

Branyas moved to Spain from New Orleans as a child after her father, who founded a magazine, decided to return to his homeland. She often reminisced about crossing the Atlantic during World War I. Her X account, named “Super Catalan Grandma,” humorously noted, “I am old, very old, but not an idiot.”

World’s oldest person, Maria Branyas, dies aged 117

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Branyas, then 113, tested positive but avoided severe symptoms, unlike many older Spaniards. At the time of her passing, she was residing in a nursing home in Olot, Catalonia.

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Just before her death, Branyas expressed her readiness to embrace the end of her life. She told her family, “I don’t know when, but very soon this long journey will come to an end. Death will find me worn down from having lived so much, but I want to meet it with a smile, feeling free and satisfied.”

Check out some of her photos posted in X which show a very young Maria Branyas.

Maria Branyas at 7 years – 1914

Maria Branyas at 15 years – 1922

Maria Branyas at 16 years – 1923

Maria Branyas at 18 years – 1925

Maria Branyas at 19 years – 1926

Maria Branyas at 21 years – 1928

Maria Branyas married at 24 years – 1931

Maria Branyas with her first born – 1934 onwards

Maria Branyas and her love for dogs