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Lucile Randon, known as Sister André [French: Sœur André], was a French supercentenarian who was recognized by Guinness World Records as the oldest validated living person in the world from the death of Kane Tanaka of Japan on 19 April 2022 until her own death on 17 January 2023.
Lucile Randon was born in the commune of Alès in the Gard department in the Occitania region in Southern France, on 11 February 1904. Her parents were Paul Randon (17 June 1866 – 27 April 1938) and Alphonsine Delphine Yeta Randon (née Soutoul; 27 March 1869 – 21 August 1936). Randon was born in a set of twins. However, her twin sister Lydie Randon (11 February 1904 – 4 August 1905) died at the age of 17 (almost 18) months. Randon almost died alongside her sister, which her doctor predicted would happen, but managed to recover. She also had five older siblings, some of whom died as infants: Maurice (1891–1891), André (1891–1891), André Amaury (1892–1971), Lucien (1895–1972), and Pierre (1902–1920).
Randon remembered her two brothers: Andre and Lucien, one of them seriously injured, returning from World War I in 1918 when she was 14. She later stated in an interview that it was the happiest day of her life.
Randon grew up in a Protestant family; her paternal grandfather was a pastor. She converted to Catholicism at the age of 19, and at the age of 40, she became a nun in the congregation of the Sisters of Saint-Vincent-de-Paul in Paris, taking the name of Sister Andre in honor of her older brother, with whom she was very close.
Randon worked as a teacher and a governess for various families, including the Peugeot family who founded the French car manufacturer. She also looked after children during World War II. After the war, she spent 28 years working with orphans and elderly people at a hospital in Vichy, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes region. She then spent three decades working in a nursing home located in Savoie, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes.
At the age of 91, in 1995, Randon suffered a heart attack which required surgery on her carotid artery. In 2009, Randon moved to a retirement home in Toulon, Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur region, from Savoie, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes. In 2010, Randon said it was to get closer to her familial roots in the region, saying she was a Toulonnais by blood.
At the time of her 115th birthday in 2019, Randon was asked about the secret to her longevity. She said that she did not have a secret, but believed God wanted her to live the years that her late twin sister didn’t get to live, citing when she had almost died as a baby and again at the age of 91.
In 2019, Randon was made an honorary citizen of the city and received a letter from Pope Francis.
On 16 January 2021, Randon tested positive for COVID-19 during an outbreak that saw 53 out of the 90 residents of her retirement home infected with the disease. Randon was kept in isolation in her room and did not suffer any symptoms other than feeling tired.
On 8 February 2021, just three days before her 117th birthday, it was reported that she had recovered, making her the oldest confirmed survivor of the disease. When asked by a journalist if she was afraid to have COVID-19, she answered: “No, I wasn’t afraid, because I wasn’t afraid to die.” She went on to celebrate her 117th birthday on 11 February.
On 13 July 2017, se became the oldest known living nun in the world, following the death of 115-year-old Marie-Josephine Gaudette of Italy. Randon subsequently became the oldest ecclesiastical person ever recorded after surpassing Gaudette’s final age of 115 years, 110 days on 2 June 2019. Randon is also the first and only nun to turn 116, 117, and 118.
On 19 October 2017, she became the oldest living person in France (and in the Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur region), following the death of 114-year-old Honorine Rondello on 19 October 2017. Following the death of 114-year-old Gabrielle des Robert on 3 December 2018, Randon became the last known surviving French person born in 1904.
On 11 February 2019, Randon celebrated her 115th birthday, becoming the third person in the history of France to verifiably reach this age, after Jeanne Calment and Marie Brémont. After surpassing Bremont’s final age of 115 years, 42 days on 26 March 2019, she became the second-oldest validated French person ever, behind only Calment, who lived to the age of 122 years, 164 days. Randon is the second French person to verifiably reach the ages of 116, 117, and 118.
She became the Oldest Living Person in Europe, as well as the last known validated European born before 1905, following the death of 116-year-old Maria Giuseppa Robucci of Italy on 18 June 2019.
On 11 February 2020, Randon became the sixth recorded European to verifiably reach the age of 116.
On 11 February 2021, Randon became the third recorded European to verifiably reach the age of 117, after Jeanne Calment and Emma Morano.
Following the death of Valentine Ligny on 4 January 2022, Randon became the last known surviving French person born before 1909.
On 11 February 2022, Randon became only the second European person in history to reach the age of 118, and the first to do so since Jeanne Calment in 1993.
On 19 April 2022, following the passing of 119-year-old Kane Tanaka, she became the World’s Oldest Living Person.
Following the death of Juliette Bilde on 13 December 2022, Randon became the last known surviving French person born in the 1900s decade, as well as one of only two French people remaining born before 1911 (the other being Marie-Rose Tessier).
Upon her own passing, Maria Branyas Morera succeeded her as the World’s Oldest Living Person, as well as the Oldest Living Person in Europe. Inah Canabarro Lucas (Brazil) succeeded her as the World’s Oldest Living Nun. Marie-Rose Tessier succeeded her as the Oldest Living Person in France.
Randon is currently the oldest validated person ever born in Occitanie region, and the second-oldest validated person ever to reside in Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur region, after Jeanne Calment.
Since surpassing Emma Morano‘s final age of 117 years, 137 days in 2021, Randon has held the record as the second-oldest validated European ever recorded, after Jeanne Calment.
* Lucile Randon – geneanet
* “La doyenne de Toulon a 112 ans” – toulon.fr, 9 February 2016
* “La doyenne des Français fête ses 117 ans après avoir vaincu le Covid-19” – france24, 11 February 2021
Randon with violin as young girl. source: Gerontology Wiki
(Source: Les Grands Centenaires Français)
(Source: Les Grands Centenaires Français)
At the age of 116. (Source: Gerard Julien/Getty Images)
Shortly before her 117th birthday. (Source: Nicolas Tucat/AFP)
Celebrating her 117th birthday. (Source: Ehpad Sainte-Catherine Labouré)
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