María José Pantoja Leite was born in the neighborhood of Engenho Novo in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 17 March 1914. Her father was Professor José Pantoja Leite (1876–1955), a renowned Brazilian scientist, and Olga Brandão Pantoja Leite. She had four siblings. At the age of 4, she started taking piano lessons. She grew up in the city of Rio de Janeiro where she attended the Sagrado Coração de Maria College (formerly Sacré-Coeur de Marie). She learned French and Spanish in college. After graduating, she entered the University, enrolling to study chemical engineering.

After graduating, she met her future husband, Enrique Garino, an Argentinian. After they got married in Brazil, the couple moved to Buenos Aires in 1938. Her husband was a diplomat. He worked in Argentine embassies and consulates around the world. For some time, they resided in Chile, Uruguay, Canada, and Colombia respectively. The couple had 4 children: Celia María, María Inés, María José and Enrique.

Her husband passed away at the age of 60 while performing diplomatic functions in Cali, Colombia. Following his death, she returned to Buenos Aires.

At the age of 109, she lived with her daughter, Celia María.

María José Pantoja Leite passed away in Buenos Aires City, Argentina, on 14 August 2023, aged 109 years, 150 days.