World's oldest person dies at 116

Friday, 2 May 2025 00:25

The world's oldest person, a football-loving nun from Brazil, has died at 116, prompting an outpouring of emotion from her religious sisters and the club she loved.

The world's oldest person, a football-loving nun from Brazil, has died at 116 years and 326 days, prompting an outpouring of emotion from her religious sisters and the club she loved.

Sister Inah Canabarro's death on Wednesday meant Britain's Ethel Caterham became the oldest living person at 115 years, 252 days, according to LongeviQuest and Guinness World Records.

Canabarro was born to a large family in southern Brazil on June 8, 1908, according to the researchers, but her nephew said she was born two weeks earlier and registered late.

Her great-grandfather was a famed Brazilian general who took up arms during the turbulent period following Brazil's independence from Portugal and she taught General Joao Figueiredo, the last of the military dictators who governed Brazil between 1964 and 1985.

Pope Francis honoured her on her 110th birthday and she is the second oldest nun ever documented.

Her religious order, the Teresian Sisters, announced her death on Wednesday, asking God to receive and welcome her with infinite love.

Bruna Santos, who described herself as a doctoral student in theology, said it was a privilege to have spent so much time with the 116-year-old.

"I laughed, hugged, spoke and laughed well with a 116-year-old centenarian," she said, on Instagram.

"Sister Inah was pure joy, with a heart all for Jesus that she gave in service of the kingdom of God."

Canabarro's beloved Sport Club Internacional, which was founded after she was born, has been celebrating its oldest fan's birthday every year. This week it was instead left mourning her passing.

"The colourful fan, who left us this Wednesday, was the oldest woman in the world and gave her 116 years of life to kindness, to faith and to love for the people's club," Inter said, on social media.

"We farewell the sister celebrating her legacy of spirituality and compassion and wishing for strength for her friends and relatives."

Her room was decorated with gifts in the team's red and white colours, her nephew Cleber Canabarro, who was 84 at the time, said earlier this year.

Canabarro took the title of the oldest living person following the death of Japan's Tomiko Itooka and was the 20th oldest documented person to have ever lived, according to LongeviQuest, an organisation that tracks supercentenarians around the globe.

Her funeral was scheduled for today.

The international organisation said Caterham was born on August 21, 1909 in Shipton Bellinger, Hampshire, England, the youngest of eight.

She worked as a nanny in both India and the UK and met her husband, Major Norman Caterham of the British Army, at a dinner party in 1933.

They also lived in Gibraltar and Hong Kong, where she established a nursery, and had two daughters – Gem and Anne, both of whom she outlived – after returning to Surrey, the researchers said.

She kept driving the Triumph Dolomite owned by her husband, who died almost five decades ago, until she was 97 and played bridge regularly after notching her century.

She moved into a care home in 2020, survived COVID-19 and remains in good health to this day, enjoying sitting in the garden listening to birds or relaxing in her room to classical music.

- Reported with Associated Press