Maria Branyas Morera, recognized as the world’s oldest person at 117 years, has passed away.Branyas died peacefully in her sleep on Monday, August 19, at the nursing home in Catalonia, Spain, where she had lived for the past two decades, her family confirmed.
“Maria Branyas has left us,” they said. “She departed as she wished: peacefully, without pain, and in her sleep.”
At 117 years and 168 days old, Branyas was the eighth-oldest person in history, according to the Guinness World Records.
In January 2023, she was confirmed as the world’s oldest living person after the passing of Lucile Randon from France. When asked about the secret to her longevity, Branyas credited “order, tranquility, strong connections with family and friends, nature, emotional stability, no worries, no regrets, lots of positivity, and avoiding toxic people.”
She also acknowledged the role of “luck and good genetics” in her long life.
Maria Branyas Morera was born on March 4, 1907, in San Francisco, California, just a year after her parents had emigrated to the United States. She spent her early years in America.
In 1915, amid the turmoil of the First World War, her family decided to return to Catalonia. The trans-Atlantic journey was fraught with danger, not only due to the threat of German U-boats but also because of a tragic accident. Eight-year-old Maria fell from the upper to lower deck while playing with her brothers, resulting in permanent hearing loss in one ear. To compound their hardship, her father succumbed to pulmonary tuberculosis towards the end of the voyage.
The family eventually settled in Barcelona, later moving to Banyoles in northeastern Catalonia.
At the age of 24, Maria married Dr. Joan Moret, and together they had three children. During the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), the couple worked tirelessly to treat wounded soldiers, with Maria continuing to assist her husband in his medical practice after the war.
Dr. Moret passed away in 1976, and Maria also outlived her eldest son, August, who died at the age of 86.
Having lived through two World Wars, the Spanish Civil War, and the Spanish Flu pandemic, Maria also survived COVID-19 in 2020. At 113 years old, she contracted the virus but made a full recovery within days, becoming the world’s oldest COVID-19 survivor—a title later surpassed by Lucile Randon.
Maria celebrated her 117th birthday earlier this year, surrounded by family and friends at her care home. Despite being hard of hearing and having limited mobility, she had no significant health issues and remained mentally sharp.
Maria Branyas Morera is survived by two children, 11 grandchildren, and numerous great-grandchildren. Our thoughts are with her family during this time.
