The “oldest person in the world” has died aged 117.
Maria Branyas Morera passed away on Monday (19 Aug).
She remembered World War I and the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939).
READ MORE: Good Samaritan saves beached dolphin during devastating drought
She hit the headlines in 2020 when she became the oldest person in Spain to recover from Covid.
And she played the piano until she was 108, as reported by Need To Know.
A post on her X account on Tuesday (20 Aug) reads: “Maria Branyas has left us.
“She passed away peacefully, just as she wanted: while sleeping, calm and without pain.
“A few days ago, she shared with us, ‘One day I will leave here. I won’t have coffee again, or eat yoghurt, or pet Fada.
“‘I will also leave behind my memories and my reflections and I will no longer exist in this body.
“‘On a day I don’t know, but which is very near, this long journey will end.
“‘Death will find me worn out from having lived so long, but I want it to find me smiling, free, and content.’
“We will always remember her for her wisdom and kindness.”
Before her passing in Olot, Spain, Ms Branyas topped the Gerontology Research Group’s (GRG) World Supercentenarian Rankings List.
The list is now topped by Tomiko Itooka, 116, of Japan.
There are other people who claim to be older than 117. But the GRG hasn’t verified their claims.
Ms Branyas was born to Catalan emigrants in San Francisco, USA, on 4 March 1907.
The family returned to Spain when she was seven.
Branyas called herself “Super Àvia Catalana”, or “Super Catalan Grandma”, on X, and had a love of dogs.
Her bio said: “I’m old, very old, but not an idiot.”
She became the world’s oldest person after French nun Lucile Randon passed away aged 118 in January last year.
Her daughter Rosa Moret once told Spanish media that Branyas didn’t think her age was a big deal.
She said: “She says it’s not an achievement for her or anyone else.”
READ MORE: Young thieves swipe shelves at Boots pharmacy in daylight robbery
