World's oldest person, a French nun, dies at 118

The world’s oldest known person died on Tuesday at the age of 118 in the French city of Toulon. 

Lucile Randon, who assumed the name Sister Andre when she took the holy orders, died in her sleep at 2 a.m. local time. 

“It is with immense sadness and emotion that I learned tonight of the passing of the world’s oldest person #SisterAndré,” said Toulon’s mayor, Hubert Falco, who announced her death on Twitter. 

Sister Andre was born on February 11, 1904, in southern France and became a Catholic nun in 1944. She lived through two world wars and saw 27 different French heads of state, according to the BBC. 

She once told reporters that "only the good Lord knows" how she managed to live so long. 

Lucile Rendon, also known as Sister Andrè, passed away today in Toulon, France.

The Catholic nun would have turned 119 in 3 weeks.

She was 18 years old on the 2nd picture taken in 1922 and 5 years old on the 3rd picture taken in 1909. pic.twitter.com/6rhqTF9izH

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) January 17, 2023

Sister Andre always said that he had a close relationship with her brothers. She told reporters that one of her fondest memories was when they returned home safely at the end of World War One.

"It was rare," she recalled. "In families, there were usually two dead rather than two alive."

By the end of her life, Sister Andre was blind and relied on a wheelchair to get around. However, she still managed to help elderly people get along with their daily lives. 

"People say that work kills, for me work kept me alive, I kept working until I was 108."

“There is great sadness, but she wanted it to happen, it was her desire to join her beloved brother. For her, it is freedom,” said the nun’s spokesman, David Tavella.