The World Lost Its Oldest Person in December

Tomiko Itooka, a Japanese woman who was the world's oldest person according to Guinness, has died, reports AP. She was 116. An official in charge of elderly policies said Itooka died on Dec. 29 at a care home in Ashiya, Hyogo Prefecture, central Japan. Itooka, who loved bananas and a yogurt-flavored Japanese drink called Calpis, was born on May 23, 1908. She became the oldest person last year following the death of 117-year-old Maria Branyas, according to the Gerontology Research Group.

When she was told she was at the top of the World Supercentenarian Rankings List, she simply replied, "Thank you." When Itooka celebrated her birthday last year, she received flowers, a cake, and a card from the mayor. Born in Osaka, Itooka was a volleyball player in high school, and she long had a reputation for a sprightly spirit. She climbed the 10,062-foot Mount Ontake twice. She married at 20 and had two daughters and two sons, per Guinness. Itooka managed the office of her husband's textile factory during World War II. She lived alone in Nara after her husband died in 1979.

She is survived by one son and one daughter, and five grandchildren. A funeral service was held with family and friends. According to the Gerontology Research Group, the world's oldest person is now 116-year-old Brazilian nun Inah Canabarro Lucas, who was born 16 days after Itooka.

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