California woman celebrated as America's oldest person, dies weeks after her 116th birthday
Edith Ceccarelli (left) with Willits Mayor Saprina Rodriguez who presented her with a proclamation from the city for her 116th birthday. (City of Willits )
WILLITS, Calif. - She was known as America's oldest known living person. Seventeen days after turning 116-years-old this month, Edith Ceccarelli, died in Willits, Calif., just a couple miles from where she was born in 1908.
Before her death on Thursday, Ceccarelli, known fondly as "Edie," was on record as being not only the oldest in the country, but the second-oldest person in the world, according to the Gerontology Research Group (GRG), which tracks supercentenarians-- people who have reached the age of 110.
Ceccarelli was only about ten months younger than the oldest person in the world, San Francisco-born Maria Branyas Morera, who now resides in Spain, according to GRG researchers.
Ceccarelli died peacefully in her sleep at the Holy Ghost Residential Care Home in Willits, where she’d been living for almost nine years, her family told KTVU.
Prior to becoming a resident there, Ceccarelli had lived in her own home until she was 107.
She was a beloved figure and a local celebrity of sorts in Willits, where she spent most of her life.
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Ceccarelli was one of seven children, according to GRG. She grew up in Willits and moved to Santa Rosa after getting married in 1933. Her husband, Elmer "Brick" Keenan worked 36 years as a pressman with the Santa Rosa Democrat.
The couple then returned to Willits after he retired.
Edie lost her husband in 1984, and two years later she married Charles Ceccarelli. It was her love of dancing that led her to her second husband, according to her cousin Evelyn Persico.
"Edie loved her dancing, and there was a group of seniors that went down regularly [to Ukiah] almost every Saturday, and Edie would go. That's where she met Charles," Persico recalled.
The couple was married about five years before her second husband passed away, according to Persico.
"Edie outlived everyone in her family," she said.
In addition to her dancing, Ceccarelli's secrets to longevity were said to be taking daily naps, drinking red wine with her meal, and never smoking.
She also walked a lot and remained active well past 100. With the help of a walker, she would move around on her own until she was about 112, Perisco shared.
"I took her out all the time, go to lunch, drive her around town, take her for ice cream," Persico recalled, noting strawberry ice cream was her favorite.
It was when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Ceccarelli was forced to slow down. She couldn't be as active, and the isolation from the lockdown affected her.
"Family would come all the time, and then to have no visitors for almost a year and a half, that’s really a cruel thing to do," Perisco said.
Edie Ceccarelli, of Willits, Calif., seen here at her 110th birthday celebration at the Willits Harrah Senior Center & Thrift Store in February 2018.
In the city where Edie Ceccarelli lived out most of her 116 years, there was both sadness and pride for a woman whose long life was widely celebrated.
In a statement to KTVU, a city official said Willits was honored to have celebrated Ceccarelli’s birthday along with the world, earlier this month.
"Edith was an inspiration for the community as she experienced the growth of Willits and was eager to share her experiences with everyone," the statement said.
The city also said Ceccarelli’s life provided a reflection of her hometown and its celebrated history.
"Her stories made every one of us proud to call this beautiful, Northern California community home. These stories not only reflected historical changes but also the life and times of an amazing woman," the city said, adding, "Edith will always be remembered by all."
Not long after helping to organize her cousin's birthday, Perisco was now taking on the overwhelming and difficult task of planning a memorial for a woman she remembered as being always elegant and well put together, even in her later years. And she was a joy to be around.
"I loved that little lady. I can't tell you how much," Perisco said, adding, "I miss her already."