Paladia Noja, the oldest living person in Romania, celebrates her 111th birthday
The Gerontology Research Group (GRG) is pleased to announce that Mrs. Paladia Noja, the oldest living person in Romania and the oldest woman ever to have lived in Romania, celebrated her 111th birthday in Cugir, Alba County, on July 20 2026.
Paladia Noja was born as Paladia Bâldea in Cugir, Alba County, Austria-Hungary (now Romania), on July 20 1915, to parents Petru Bâldea (1875–1958) and Maria Bâldea (1879–1948). As a child, she worked in the fields, tended to animals, and helped her family with daily chores. In her youth, she lived three years in Timișoara with two of her siblings. She had two brothers, Ioan Bâldea (1911–1976) and Petru Bâldea (1912–1989), and two sisters Maria Bâldea (1913–1989) and Domnica Bâldea (1917–2000).
On 27 April 1935, at the age of 19, she married Simion Noja (1908–1989), and the couple had four children. Sons; Constantin Noja (born 1940), Ioan Noja (1943–2016) and Petru Noja (born 1945), as well as a daughter; Maria Noja (born 1950). She learned tailoring as a young woman but was never formally employed. She made clothes for her children and sewed for local sheep farmers, who offered milk, cheese, meat and other foodstuffs in exchange. She also had a large garden with trees, where she grew various vegetables and wheat, from which she made her own flour.
Her husband died from a heart attack in 1989, at the age of 81. She continued using her sewing machine well into her centenarian years and worked in the garden until she was almost 100.
At the age of 106, she said that her secret to longevity is to never smoke or drink alcohol, as well as eating in moderation. Her diet was based entirely on traditional foods grown in her own garden. She grew up eating home-cooked meals, fresh vegetables and dairy products, never indulging in excess.
On July 20 2025, she celebrated her 110th birthday, becoming the first known female supercentenarian ever recorded in Romania.
On April 16 2026, at the age of 110 years and 270 days, her age was officially validated by the Gerontology Research Group (GRG). Paladia’s age was verified by Leti Balog, Maria Didina Noja, Dejan Vujić and Mihai Matei.
On May 27 2026, following the death of 112-year-old Ilie Ciocan of Vâlcea County, she became the oldest known living person in Romania.
The GRG extends warm congratulations to Mrs. Paladia Noja on her 111th birthday.
LINK: Cugireanca Noja Paladia a împlinit 111 ani. Este cea mai vârstnică persoană din România