Dorothy Hoffner, a 104-year-old woman from Chicago who recently achieved a remarkable skydiving feat in her quest to set a record, has sadly passed away. Read full article
Her aspiration to be recognized as the oldest person to skydive, as certified by Guinness World Records, remained unfulfilled at the time of her death.
Hoffner's close friend, Joe Conant, a nurse who affectionately referred to her as "Grandma," discovered her lifeless on October 9 at the Brookdale Lake View senior living community, where she resided.
She was known for her boundless energy and sharp mental faculties, earning her the reputation of being indefatigable.
On October 1, Hoffner made a tandem skydive from 13,500 feet at Skydive Chicago in Ottawa, Illinois, a courageous feat that may have secured her a place in the record books as the world's oldest skydiver.
At the age of 104, Hoffner confidently proclaimed, “Age is just a number,” to an enthusiastic crowd right after her exhilarating parachute landing. This wasn’t her first jump; she had taken the plunge at the youthful age of 100.
Her friend, Conant, revealed he was in the process of completing paperwork to secure Guinness World Records' posthumous certification for Hoffner as the oldest skydiver. However, he anticipated this would require some time, considering the existing record holder, 103-year-old Linnéa Ingegärd Larsson of Sweden, set the benchmark in May 2022.
Conant emphasized that Hoffner’s motivation was not to break a record; she simply cherished her first skydiving experience so much that she wanted to relive it.
“She had no plans to set a record. Publicity or recognition didn't interest her. She did it solely because she wanted to go skydiving,” he explained.
In a joint statement on Tuesday, October 10, Skydive Chicago and the United States Parachute Association paid tribute to Hoffner, expressing their deep sadness at her passing. They acknowledged her spirit, highlighting that while many people stow skydiving away in their bucket lists, Hoffner’s story serves as a reminder that it’s never too late to embrace life’s most thrilling adventures.
Conant also shared that Hoffner dedicated over four decades of her life to working as a telephone operator with Illinois Bell, later AT&T, retiring 43 years ago. As a lifelong resident of Chicago, she never married and had no immediate family members.