Supercentenarian Profile

Elvira Casonato da Rocha

Born:

1917-08-17

Tietê, São Paulo,

Brazil

Current Residence:

Sorocaba, São Paulo,

Brazil

✔ Age Certified by LongeviQuest

Elvira Casonato da Rocha is a Brazilian semi-supercentenarian.

BIOGRAPHY

Elvira Casonato da Rocha was born on 17 August 1917, in a rural area of Tietê, São Paulo, Brazil. Her parents were Felício Casonato (1884 – 1946), an Italian immigrant and farmer, and Angela Beloto (1890 – 1923), whose parents were Italian immigrants.

She attended the local school, which was nearby, and often went there with her cousins. She had a happy childhood and spent a great deal of time with them. However, she lost her mother when she was only five years old. She was subsequently raised by her paternal grandmother and continued to spend much of her childhood with her cousins.

On 24 December 1939, she married Darcy Antunes da Rocha. Four years into their marriage, they had a daughter, Maria José (b. 1943), followed afterward by a son, Antônio Darcy (1949 – 1968), who was born with Down syndrome and a heart condition. Sadly, he passed away at the age of 19.

Her husband began working for the Sorocabana Railway, and the family moved to Laranjal Paulista. Elvira never worked outside the home and was a housewife. She was always very active and devoted much of her time to helping her family. She accompanied her sisters to medical appointments and cared for family members whenever they needed assistance.

On 26 September 1974, her husband passed away at the age of 60 due to an ischemic stroke. Until then, Elvira lived in a house where they had lived for many years. The property had a large garden with many plants, which she greatly enjoyed cultivating. The house had a huge backyard with around twenty guava trees, mango trees, and various other fruit trees. After her husband’s death, she moved to another house, which also had a large backyard with banana trees and many plants. She remained there until she returned to Tietê to be closer to her family.

In 2003, Elvira moved to an apartment in Sorocaba, to be closer to her daughter, Maria José, where she continued to live an active and independent life. Around 2013, Maria José convinced her mother to come live with her. This was due to Elvira’s apartment having stairs that Maria José felt were too dangerous for her to use at such an advanced age.

At the age of 109, Elvira Casonato da Rocha continues to live with her daughter in Sorocaba, São Paulo, Brazil. She has three granddaughters, and seven great-grandchildren.