Dorothy Hoffner, a 104-year-old woman from Chicago, has died just days after attempting to set a record as the oldest skydiver.
She beamed after making the jump earlier this month in the skies above Ottawa, Chicago.
The centenarian climbed aboard a plane in northern Illinois that rose to 13,500 feet.
Strapped to a tandem instructor, the pair leapt from the aircraft and experienced a few seconds of free fall before the parachute opened.
They spent about seven minutes airborne before landing at Skydive Chicago, with Dorothy shouting, ‘age is just a number’.
“What has age got to do with what you’re doing? I’m 104 years old, so what?”
A spokesperson for the Guinness Book of World Records said they were looking “forward to receiving evidence from Dorothy’s attempt for our Records Management Team to review.”
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The standing record belongs to 103-year-old Linnéa Ingegärd Larsson of Sweden, who jumped from a plane in May last year.
Sadly, Dorothy will not learn if she beat the record.
She was found dead at the Brookdale Lake View senior living community.
“She was indefatigable. She just kept going. 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.”
That tribute came from her close friend Joe Conant, who told AP News Dorothy died in her sleep on Sunday, 8 October night.
“We are deeply saddened by Dorothy’s passing and feel honored to have been a part of making her world-record skydive a reality.
Skydiving is an activity that many of us safely tuck away on our bucket lists. But Dorothy reminds us that it’s never too late to take the thrill of a lifetime.”
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Dorothy was due to turn 105 in December and had hoped to ride in a hot air balloon to mark the occasion.
A memorial service for her will take place in November.