A daredevil 104-year-old going into the Guinness book or records?
Dorothy Hoffner, passed away in her sleep on Monday at the Brookdale Lake View senior living community. Merely two weeks prior, Hoffner shocked the world by skydiving from 13,500 feet in Ottawa, Illinois, potentially making her the world’s oldest skydiver, a title previously held since 2022 by 103-year-old Swede, Linnea Ingegard Larsson.
Hoffner, a lifelong Chicago resident who retired 43 years ago and never married, was not a stranger to skydiving. She first embraced the skies at the young age of 100. “Age is just a number,” she boldly declared upon landing on October 1st, greeted by an elated crowd.
Although Hoffner was indifferent about claiming the record, her close friend, Joe Conant, a nurse at Brookdale, intends to certify her feat posthumously to honor her powerful spirit.
Conant warmly shared that, “She was indefatigable. She just kept going…always there, fully present. She kept going, always.” He fondly referred to Hoffner as “Grandma,” highlighting a special bond forged through her relentless zest for life.
Hoffner’s feat was commemorated jointly by Skydive Chicago and the US Parachute Association. “Skydiving is an activity that many of us safely tuck away in our bucket lists. But Dorothy reminds us that it’s never too late to take the thrill of a lifetime. We are forever grateful that skydiving was a part of her exciting, well-lived life.”
