Mara Gabelica, Croatia’s oldest living person, dies at 109

The Gerontology Research Group is saddened to report news that Mrs. Mara Gabelica, the oldest living person in Croatia, sadly died in the village of Zmijavci, municipality of Zmijavci, Split-Dalmatia County, Croatia on 27 May 2024 at the age of 109 years, 262 days.

Mara Gabelica was born in the village of Ivanbegovina, Split-Dalmatia County, Austria-Hungary (present-day Croatia) on 8 September 1914. She married in 1932 at the age of 17 in the village of Podbablje to Ante Gabelica, who was 12 years older than her. In 1953 they moved to the village of Zmijavci, also Split-Dalmatia County, Croatia. Her husband Ante died in 1955 and she was left a widow with four children, two sons and two daughters.

In April 2021, at the age of 106, she received Astra Zeneca’s vaccine against Covid-19.

On 8 May 2022, following the death of 108-year-old Anđela Šoštarić, she became the oldest living person in Croatia.

On 18 May 2024, following the death of 110-year-old Marija Ruljančić of Australia, she became the oldest living Croatian-born person.

After her death, the new oldest living person in Croatia is 109-year-old Marija Herman (born 23 March 1915) of Varaždin County, and the new oldest living Croatian-born person is 109-year-old Milka Bauković (born 5 February 1915) of Belgrade, Serbia.