Dorothy Hoffner, a 104-year-old Chicago woman whose recent skydive could see her certified by Guinness World Records as the oldest person to ever jump from a plane, has died.
Hoffner’s close friend, Joe Conant, said she was found dead Monday morning by staff at the Brookdale Lake View senior living community. Conant said Hoffner apparently died in her sleep on Sunday night.
Conant, who is a nurse, said he met Hoffner — whom he called Grandma at her request — several years ago while he was working as a caregiver for another resident at the senior living center. He said she had amazing energy and remained mentally sharp.
“She was indefatigable. She just kept going,” he said Tuesday. “She was not someone who would take naps in the afternoon, or not show up for any function, dinner or anything else. She was always there, fully present. She kept going, always.”
It sounds like Dorothy lived life on her terms, right to the end.
Respect.
Good, going out on a high note is great.
Plus the benefit that her actual death was in her sleep.
My grandma wasn’t skydiving, but she also died in her sleep, which was great. Was well the days before, then went to bed and never woke up. Much prefered to how grandpa slowly died of cancer while also having Alzheimers. That wasn’t fun for anyone. Never waking up is certainly one of the best deaths one can have.
That’s how my grandmother went out. Definitely preferable to many other ways. :( Sorry you had to go through that. Dementia of any kind is horrible.
I didn’t have to go through it directly. I was a child and my grandma didn’t let me see my grandfather in his past months. It apparently was really bad and she wanted me to keep the memory of how he was when he was well. Heck, while the older family members got to visit, she basically took over the care on her own. She shouldered this burden of him losing himself so nobody else had to and continued on another decade afterwards. She was quite the strong woman.
She was the oldest person to skydive, there’s proof that she was the oldest person to skydive. What’s keeping them from giving her the record? Does it matter that she died? The record was already set.
I’d assume her age and stuff need to be confirmed? Tho if it with Guinness it doesn’t really matter much, their entire record system is a sham.
Would there be a concern that the elderly might be pushed into potentially hazardous (due to their age/health) activities in attempts to make records? Guinness already refuses records that are dangerous. I could easily see the YouTube generation trying to talk grandma into some record attempts that wind up with her stroking out or breaking a hip. If I were Guinness I’d have some concerns about how to present stuff like this.
Hey, who needs social security when you have natural selection XD
Kinda sad, but at the same time, I wish for this myself when being old. Dieing after having my most ambitious dreams being fulfilled, not looking back about missed opportunities or regrets.
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She can’t defend her record, go for it centurians!
I wonder what’s the world record for dying after you set a world record.
The suspense was killing her.
it’s amusing that journalists still give these “world records” any amount of energy.
a serious career for serious people.
What’s wrong with world records?
I guess AP usually has better things to report on, but reporting is still reporting.
It’s about the delivery, not the subject matter 😎
you can just buy them without doing anything.
they’ll sell the same “record” more than once.
I can just buy a world record for oldest skydiver even though I’m 18?
yes.
yes.
Not from Guinness, no.
yes from Guinness, it is well documented.
Really? Can you show me the document that says Guiness sold an oldest person record to someone who was clearly not the oldest?
As serious as an edgy cynic on the Internet?
Nearly, but not quite
that was edgy?
i do this for free, you cant afford my day job.
Just poking fun because I don’t really mind the occasional or even daily story about some random living long and prospering.