BIOGRAPHY

O’Hara was born Merle Millicent Romney in Kingston, Jamaica, on 20 February 1912, to parents Ernest and Eva Romney.

At some point in her life, she got married and had one daughter, Bridget. She worked at a law firm and at one point she lived on a farm.

On one occasion, she served tea to Queen Elizabeth II and then-Prince Philip at a resort during their visit to Jamaica. When her only daughter got married and moved to Canada, Merle and her husband followed her. She survived a stroke, but lost vision in her left eye. Among her hobbies were playing field hockey, bridge, and croquet. Her husband died in 1980.

O’Hara passed away in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on 4 November 2023, at the age of 111 years, 257 days. At the time of her passing, she resided at the Haro Park Centre, along with her daughter.

RECOGNITION

Her age was verified by Stefan Maglov, and validated by LongeviQuest on 16 January 2023.

ATTRIBUTION

* “ ‘She’s just fun:’ Woman celebrates 111th birthday in Vancouver” – CTV News Vancouver, 21 February 2023

* “Merle passed away peacefully this morning just before 6am.” – Instagram (merle_supercentenarian), 4 November 2023

GALLERY