BIOGRAPHY

Jeanne Bot was born on 14 January 1905 in the military barracks in Mont-Louis, Occitanie region, France, where her father was a soldier, she was one of five children. Her parents were Pierre Louis Bot (1870–1941) and Anna Louise Chantebien (1875–1946). Her siblings were: Fernande Marie Therese (1899–1987), Alice Louise (1903–1998), Marcel Louise Pierre (1910–1991), and Suzanne (1913–2003).

She spent 50 years working as a bookkeeper in a car garage in Perpignan, Pyrenees-Orientales, France. She never married or had children. Throughout her adult life, she was reportedly never seriously ill. The only medical procedures she underwent were a hip replacement and treatment for a fractured wrist—both of which she fully recovered from.

At the age of 112, she lived alone in her apartment in the Moulin à Vent district of Perpignan, with support from housekeepers. Her 71-year-old nephew visited her every few days. She reportedly had no major health issues. She used a walking frame to move between her bedroom and living room, and although her hearing had significantly declined, she still enjoyed watching television. Her memory for distant events—particularly those related to her professional life—remained sharp.

By the age of 114, her health had declined significantly. She spoke and heard very little, and could barely move except to transfer from her bed to her armchair.

Jeanne Bot passed away in Perpignan in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in Southern France, on 22 May 2021, at the age of 116 years, 128 days.

RECOGNITION

Bot became the last surviving French person born in 1905 following the death of Mathilde Lartigue on 24 March 2018. She later became the last surviving person in the whole of Europe born in that year following the death of Dutch Geertje Kuijntjes on 24 December 2019.

Bot became the second-oldest living person in France following the death of Gabrielle des Robert on 3 December 2018, with only Lucile Randon ahead of her. She later became the second-oldest validated living person in all of Europe after the death of Maria Giuseppa Robucci on 18 June 2019.

After the passing of Shin Matsushita on 27 August 2019, Bot was initially believed to be the world’s third-oldest validated living person. However, the later validation of Brazil’s Francisca Celsa dos Santos on 9 July 2020, revised her ranking to fourth-oldest globally.

Her age was validated by the European Supercentenarian Organisation (ESO) on 11 January 2020.

On 14 January 2020, Bot became the fourth French person on record to reach the age of 115. After surpassing Marie Brémont‘s final age of 115 years and 42 days on 26 February 2020, she became the third-oldest French person in history, behind only Jeanne Calment and Lucile Randon.

At the time of her passing, she was the fourth-oldest living person in the world, after Kane Tanaka, Lucile Randon, and Francisca Celsa dos Santos. Following Bot’s death, Antonia da Santa Cruz of Brazil became the fourth-oldest validated living person in the world, as well as the last known surviving validated person born in 1905.

ATTRIBUTION

* Jeanne Anna Claire BOT – geneanet

* “Jeanne Bot a fêté ses 112 ans à Perpignan” – France Bleu, 18 January 2017

* “Perpignan : à 114 ans, Jeanne Bot est un an plus jeune que la doyenne des Français” – L’Indépendant, 4 February 2019

* “Jeanne Bot, la doyenne du pays catalan et vice-doyenne française, fête ses 116 ans” – France Bleu, 13 January 2021

* ““Une belle personne nous a quittés” : l’hommage à Jeanne Bot, la Perpignanaise décédée à 116 ans” – France Bleu, 26 May 2021

GALLERY