Maria Branyas Morera, woman believed to be world’s oldest person at 117 years, has passed away.

Branyas, her family says, died on Monday, August 19 at the nursing home in Catalonia, Spain, where she resided for the past two decades.

“Maria Branyas has left us. She has gone the way she wanted: in her sleep, at peace, and without pain.”

Aged 117 years 168 days, the Guinness World Record says, she was the eighth-oldest person (with a verifiable age) in history.

Branyas was confirmed to be the world’s oldest woman (and person overall) in January 2023, following the death of Lucile Randon (France).

When asked the secret behind her long life, Branya attributed her longevity to “order, tranquility, good connection with family and friends, contact with nature, emotional stability, no worries, no regrets, lots of positivity, and staying away from toxic people.”

She added: “I think longevity is also about being lucky. Luck and good genetics.”

She was born on 4th March 1907 in San Francisco, California, one year after her parents emigrated to the country. She spent her formative years in America.

Branyas return to Catalonia

After living in both Texas and New Orleans, the family decided to return to Catalonia in 1915, amidst the First World War.

The trans-Atlantic voyage proved to be a perilous one, and not just because enemy German ships were patrolling the ocean.

Eight-year-old Maria unfortunately fell from the upper to lower deck while playing with her brothers, permanently losing hearing in one ear. Maria’s father also tragically succumbed to pulmonary tuberculosis towards the end of the journey.

The family arrived and settled in Barcelona, then later moved to the town of Banyoles in northeastern Catalonia.

Aged 24, Maria married her husband, Dr Joan Moret, and they went on to have three children.

The couple worked together during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) to treat wounded soldiers, and Maria continued working as her husband’s assistant following the war. 

Dr Moret died in 1976, and María also outlived her eldest son August, who passed away aged 86.

After living through both World Wars, the Spanish Civil War, and the Spanish Flu pandemic, María also survived COVID-19 in 2020.

She was 113 when she contracted the virus, but she managed to make a full recovery within a few days, becoming the world’s oldest COVID-19 survivor. Lucile Randon later broke this record.

Maria celebrated her 117th birthday earlier this year, spending the day with her family and friends at her care home. 

Beyond being hard of hearing and having mobility issues, she had no other health issues, and her mind was perfectly lucid.

Maria is survived by two children, 11 grandchildren, and many more great-grandchildren. Our thoughts are with her family at this time.

Story by Guinness World Record