A social media star who lived to the incredible age of 107 once revealed the simple lifestyle she credited for her longevity.
María Morales Tirado, better known as “Doña Mami”, died just three hours and 45 minutes after celebrating her 107th birthday.
The beloved grandmother passed away peacefully in the early hours of Monday (28 September) in Puerto Rico.
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Doña Mami became an internet sensation by sharing memories of her family, traditional life and the Puerto Rico of her youth.
And when she celebrated her 100th birthday in 2019, she revealed how she had spent her extraordinary life.
She said: “I’ve spent these 100 years working, not dancing, partying or drinking.
“I’ve raised my children, worked on the farm and eaten plenty of funche.”
Funche is a traditional Puerto Rican cornmeal dish.
Doña Mami, from Yabucoa, had worked the land from a young age and continued cultivating it well into her 80s and 90s.
Her grandson Julio César Lebrón previously recalled seeing her “swinging the hoe with the energy of a 30-year-old” in her later years.
Her down-to-earth personality and remarkable energy eventually made her a social media sensation, as reported by Need To Know.
She first appeared online in 2017 when her grandson began sharing videos of her on Facebook.
Her page, “Mami is my Attitude 4 a Lifestyle”, went on to attract more than 200,000 followers.
But family remained at the heart of Doña Mami’s life.
She and her husband Víctor Morales Martínez, known as “Papi”, raised 14 children.
Doña Mami also had 48 grandchildren, 71 great-grandchildren and 28 great-great-grandchildren.
Her son Tony Morales announced her death in an emotional tribute.
He wrote: “Mami lived for 107 years, three hours and 45 minutes.
“At 3.45am, God decided it was time for her to go and reunite with Papi, Juana María, Toledo, her siblings, sons-in-law and so many other relatives who had gone before her.
“She left as she lived – on her own terms, peacefully.”
Tony said his mother’s physical strength had declined in her final years after a lifetime spent working, planting, cooking and raising her family.
But he said she continued teaching those around her until the very end.
He added: “Her life cannot be measured simply in years, because her true legacy lives on through the generations she left behind.
“We are the products of her sacrifice and descendants of a warrior.”
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