BIOGRAPHY

Samuele Goustille was born in Nantes, Loire-Atlantique, Pays de la Loire, France, on 12 October 1913. She always preferred to be called Sam rather than her full name, Samuele. Her father had decided that his next child would be named Samuel, regardless of whether it was a boy or a girl. She was married twice: first to Louis Paul Marie Guillotel. She gave birth to their only son, Philippe, at the age of 22. However, complications during childbirth led to lasting health issues, preventing her from having more children. At 107, she reflected that this was one of her regrets, as she would have loved to have more children. Her second husband was Jean Eugène Maurice Goustille. During her adult life, she worked in Paris as a knitwear designer and built a strong clientele.

Goustille once attempted to get her driver’s license but gave up after being involved in an accident. After retiring, she moved to the south of France. She had always loved jazz, but her greatest passion, even from a young age, was reading. At 15, she read André Maurois’ novel Climats, where the protagonist was named Philippe Marcenat. From that moment, she decided that if she ever had a son, she would name him Philippe. Around 2014, she moved into a nursing home.

RECOGNITION

Her age was verified by the European Supercentenarian Organisation (ESO) on 2 December 2023. However, the validation has yet to be recognized by LongeviQuest.

ATTRIBUTION

* “Je préfère qu’on m’appelle Sam…” – Nice-Matin, 2 November 2020

* ““Elle aime partager avec les autres” Samuele, la doyenne des Alpes-Maritimes, fête ses 111 ans” – France 3 Régions, 12 October 2024

GALLERY