Lucile Randon

Lucile Randon (; 11 February 1904 – 17 January 2023), also known as Sister André , was a French supercentenarian who, until her death at the age of 118 years, 340 days, was the world's oldest verified living person following the death of Kane Tanaka on 19 April 2022. She is the fourth-oldest verified person ever, the oldest nun ever, and the oldest confirmed survivor of the COVID-19 pandemic, having tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 a month before her 117th birthday. She is also the only person to date to have died at the age of 118.

As a young adult, Randon converted to Roman Catholicism and worked as a governess, teacher, nun, and missionary before retiring at the age of 75 in 1979. She lived in a nursing home in Toulon, France from 2009 until her death.

Personal life Randon was born on 11 February 1904 in Alès, France to Paul Randon and Alphonsine Delphine Yéta Soutoul. Her living siblings included three older brothers and a twin sister named Lydie, who died a year after they were born. Lucile became a governess to three children in Marseille when she was twenty years old in 1924. She took on more responsibility when she was hired as both a governess and teacher by a prominent family, the Peugeots, in Versailles in 1928. Her work as a governess and teacher at Versailles lasted until 1930 when she became governess for the Borionne family in Paris and then in Ardèche until 1944. She moved to the Ste. Catherine Labouré retirement home in Toulon on 25 October 2009, at the age of 105.

Health and longevity Randon was blind and used a wheelchair from the early 2010s.

After the death of Honorine Rondello on 19 October 2017, she became the oldest living person in France. When she turned 115 in 2019, Pope Francis sent her a personal letter and blessed rosary. On 19 April 2022, she became the world's oldest verified living person after the death of Kane Tanaka. She felt this was a "sad honour", saying: "I feel I would be better off in heaven, but the good Lord doesn't want me yet." At that time, she was reported to still eat chocolate and drink a glass of wine each day. Following her death, Maria Branyas Morera became the world's oldest validated living person.