A 104-year-old Chicago woman identified as Dorothy Hoffner has died days after going skydiving to break Guinness World Record.
It was gathered that Hoffner had on October 1st, made a tandem skydive that could land her in the record books as the world’s oldest skydiver.
According to reports, she jumped out of a plane from 13,500 feet (4,100 meters) at Skydive Chicago in Ottawa, Illinois, 85 miles (140 kilometers) southwest of Chicago.
After landing, the deceased told s cheering crowd: “Age is just a number,”
It was not her first time jumping from a plane. Report says it happened when she was 100 years of age.
Days after going for the Skydiving, the 104-year-old woman was confirmed dead.
According to Joe Conant, a close friend of the deceased, she died in her sleep on Sunday night, Oct 8.
Conant, who is a nurse, added that Hoffer was found dead Monday morning, Oct. 9, by staff at the Brookdale Lake View senior living community.
The grieving friend revealed that he met Hoffner, whom he called Grandma at her request, many years ago.
Back then, he was working as a caregiver for another resident at the senior living center.
According to him, she had amazing energy and remained mentally sharp
“She was indefatigable. She just kept going,” he said Tuesday, Oct. 10. “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.” he said.
Conant said Hoffner didn’t skydive to break a record. She only did it again because she enjoyed her first jump.
However, he was working through paperwork to ensure that Guinness World Records certifies Hoffner posthumously as the world’s oldest skydiver, but he expects that will take some time. The current record was set by a 103-year-old Linnéa Ingegärd Larsson of Sweden in May 2022.
Before her death, Hoffner worked for more than four decades as a telephone operator with Illinois Bell, which later became AT&T. She retired 43 years ago. She was never married, and had no immediate family members.
A memorial service will be held in early November for Hoffner.
Discussion about this post