Marie-Rose Tessier, the second-oldest living person, passed away in Les Sables-d’Olonne, France, on 10 February, at the age of 115 years, 265 days, according to Actu.fr.
Marie-Rose Tessier was born as Marie-Rose Bousseau in a farm in Beaurepaire in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region, France on 21 May 1910. When she was 13, her parents took over a new farm in Les Herbiers in Bournigal. Although she had to leave her old school before completing her education, it didn’t bother her; she enjoyed life in the countryside, despite the hard work.
On 14 November 1927, she married Auguste Tessier (1904–1944) in Ardelay (now Les Herbiers), Vendée. The couple moved several times due to his work as a policeman, eventually settling near Paris. They had two daughters, Denise and Yvette. During World War II, her husband was killed in a bombing raid in 1944, and she and her daughters often sheltered during air raids.
After his death, she stayed in Paris to support her daughters, working for about 15 years in administrative roles, including handling classification for a nationwide company and later collecting bicycle license taxes until the tax was abolished. In retirement, she divided her time between her daughters’ homes. After Yvette was widowed and moved to Les Sables, they chose to live together.
Following Lucile Randon death on 17 January 2023, Tessier became the Oldest Living Person in France.
At the time of her passing, she was the second-oldest living person in the world, after Ethel Caterham.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of Marie-Rose Tessier during this difficult time.
