LongeviQuest is saddened to report that Rosa Santos, the oldest living person in the world with an older, living sibling, has passed away. Together with her older sister, 110 year old Gracia dos Santos Pinto, she was recognized earlier this month as being one half of the world’s oldest living sisters, with an extraordinary combined age of over 219 years.
She was born in Tremembé, São Paulo, Brazil, on 7 February 1915, one of eight children born to an Italian-born mother and a Brazilian father. Born less than two years after her older sister, Gracia, the two were inseparable from an early age, and would go on to spend the following 109 years together. In February of 2024, she celebrated her 109th birthday alongside Gracia at their nursing home, who herself had turned 110 last September. Less than a month later, the sisters were officially recognized by LongeviQuest as the world’s oldest living siblings.
She passed away peacefully in a hospital in São Paulo in the morning of 29 March 2024, aged 109, following complications of pneumonia. Just five days prior, she was in good health, having joined her nephew on a trip to the bank, and only began feeling ill within the last 48 hours. In addition to her older sister, she leaves behind many nieces and nephews to mourn her loss.
We send our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Rosa Santos in this difficult time.