104-year-old woman passes away days after going skydiving to break Guinness World Record

Dorothy Hoffner, a 104-year-old American woman who just set a world record as the oldest skydiver, died peacefully in her Chicago home on Monday, according to The New York Times.

Dorothy Hoffner, the acclaimed centenarian who received international notoriety for her incredible skydiving journey, broke the Guinness World Record for the oldest tandem parachute jump on October 1 at Skydive Chicago Airport.

This record was previously held by a 103-year-old Swedish woman the previous year.

Dorothy Hoffner, despite her late age, rated her skydiving experience as tranquil and delightful.

After landing in Ottawa, approximately 80 miles southwest of Chicago, she shared with the Chicago Sun-Times, “There was nothing scary about it. It was nice and peaceful.”

Staff discovered Ms. Hoffner’s body at the Brookdale Lake View senior living community, according to her friend Joe Conant. Her death is thought to have occurred on Sunday night.

Skydive Chicago and the US Parachute Association expressed their gratitude that Hoffner’s final drop ended her “exciting, well-lived life.”

They mentioned, “Skydiving is an activity that many of us place on our bucket lists for safekeeping, but Dorothy reminds us that it’s never too late to embrace the thrill of a lifetime.”

According to the New York Times, Ms. Hoffner was first “not excited” about the media attention she received last week.

However, as the weekend neared, her attitude shifted, and she saw it as an opportunity to meet new people.

On Tuesday, a nurse who had known Ms. Hoffner for about five years stated that the reason of her death had not yet been identified.