The oldest person in the world died quietly in her sleep at a nursing home in Japan on April 1, just weeks after celebrating her 117th birthday.
The family of Misao Okawa, who was once cited as the oldest living resident, will hold a private funeral. Okawa, the fourth daughter of a clothing merchant, had been living in a nursing home in Osaka. She had three children, four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Her husband passed away in 1931.
The Japanese woman was asked on her last birthday about the longevity of her life. She believed it had been "short."
The previous oldest living person was 116 years old upon passing. The newest oldest living person is Arkansas resident Gertrude Weaver, who is 116 years old.
Okawa, who was born on March 5, 1898, experienced both World Wars, the advent of flight and the Wright Brothers' powered airplane as well as the invention of the television. During her lifetime, Albert Einstein announced his theory of relativity and Ernest Rutherford split the atom.
The daughter of a kimono maker professed to not knowing the secret to a long life, telling an interviewer, "I wonder about that too," and was still walking up until the age of 115. She told another interviewer, in 2014, that being nice and kind to others was the secret to a long life.
Up until just over a week ago, Okawa was eating complete meals each day, including ramen noodles and a cup of coffee. During her lifetime, 23 different Prime Ministers led Britain and the U.S. saw 21 presidents take the oath of office.
In talking about her life, Okawa said her longevity was tied to how she lived her life.
"The Lord blessed me, I think, because I'm good to my family and good to my children and grandchildren. And I feed them," she told one media outlet.
The official cause of death was heart failure. She was surrounded by her family when she passed on.
"She went so peacefully, as if she had just fallen asleep. We will miss her a lot," said Tomohiro Okada, an official at the nursing home.
The oldest person in Japan is a 115-year-old Tokyo woman. The country boasts more than 58,000 centenarians, the largest population worldwide, and nearly 90 percent are women.
