OTTAWA, Ill. — The 104-year-old Chicago woman who recently became the oldest person to tandem skydive has died.
Dorothy Hoffner passed away Monday, a little more than a week after taking the record-breaking plunge with her US Parachute Association instructor, Derek Baxter.
Family, friends and neighbors gathered at Skydive Chicago Airport in Ottawa on Oct. 1 to celebrate Hoffner as she broke the record. It was Hoffner’s second dive as a centenarian, having previously jumped out of a plane at age 100.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 104-year-old Chicago woman becomes oldest person to tandem skydive
When asked how she felt after becoming a record holder, Hoffner replied, “Like I’m old,” to laughs. “Age is only a number, you know?”
Skydive Chicago and USPA, who confirmed Hoffner’s passing, issued a joint statement:
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 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. Her legacy is even more remarkable because of the attention the world gave to her inspiring story.”
SEE ALSO: The man who took on Lake Michigan
The Guinness World Record for the oldest skydiver was previously set in May 2022 by 103-year-old Linnéa Ingegärd Larsson from Sweden.
Hoffner would have turned 105 in December.