Marita Camacho Quirós

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Camacho and the second or maternal family name is Quirós.

Marita Camacho Quirós
Camacho Quirós in 1962
First Lady of Costa Rica
In office
8 May 1962 – 8 May 1966
PresidentFrancisco Orlich Bolmarcich
Preceded byOlga de Benedictis Antonelli
Succeeded byClara Fonseca Guardia
Personal details
Born
Marita del Carmen Camacho Quirós

(1911-03-10)10 March 1911
San Ramón, Costa Rica
Died(2025-06-20)20 June 2025
(aged 114 years, 102 days)
San José, Costa Rica
Political partyPLN[1]
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1932; died 1969)​
Children2
Relatives

Marita del Carmen Camacho Quirós (10 March 1911 – 20 June 2025) was a Costa Rican supercentenarian who served as First Lady of Costa Rica from 1962 to 1966 during the presidency of her husband, Francisco Orlich Bolmarcich. At the time of her death, Camacho Quirós was the oldest living Costa Rican and the oldest former first lady in the world.

Personal life

Camacho Quirós was born on 10 March 1911 in San Ramón, located within Alajuela Province. Her parents were Salustio Camacho and Zeneida Quirós, both farmers. She was their seventh daughter.[3][4]

Camacho Quirós married the businessman and politician Francisco José Orlich Bolmarcich in the nearby city of Naranjo de Alajuela, on 16 April 1932. They had two sons, Francisco Orlich Camacho and Mauricio Orlich Camacho.[3]

Her husband died on 29 October 1969.[5]

First Lady of Costa Rica

On 8 May 1962, Bolmarcich became the President of Costa Rica. Upon her husband's inauguration, Camacho Quirós became the First Lady of Costa Rica. She maintained the position until 8 May 1966[6] when Clara Fonseca Guardia succeeded her.[7]

As First Lady, she actively worked for children by promoting children's shelters,[3][8] teaching schools, school canteens, and community centres.[9] She supported the Hospicio de Huérfanos de San José[8] and the 1964 creation of the Hospital Nacional de Niños.[1][3]

Camacho Quirós made several trips abroad with her husband as First Lady. They met with Pope John XXIII,[1][3] Francisco Franco,[10] and American presidents John F. Kennedy[3] and Lyndon B. Johnson.[11]

Longevity

On 10 March 2021, Camacho Quirós turned 110 years old, becoming a supercentenarian.[12][13] She was verified by the Gerontology Research Group as being the oldest Costa Rican to ever live.[4][a] She was also the oldest known former first lady.[13]

Camacho Quirós died on 20 June 2025, at the age of 114 years and 102 days.[16][17] After her death, Franca Pilla of Italy became the oldest living former first lady at the age of 104.[18]

Notes

  1. ^ There was an unverified claimant for the oldest Costa Rican, José "Chepito" Delgado, who died on 27 May 2021.[14][15]

References

  1. ^ a b c Ferrer, José Figueres (12 May 2021). "Marita Camacho Quirós". El Espíritu del 48 – Dedicado a preservar los valores e ideales de la Revolución de 1948 (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  2. ^ a b Goublaye (2004). Viajes a través de mi árbol genealógico (in Spanish). La Paz, Bolivia: Plural Editores. p. 72. ISBN 9789990575552. OCLC 948237007.
  3. ^ a b c d e f De La Cruz, Vladimir (10 March 2021). "Ante los 110 años de la Primera Dama de la República, Marita Camacho Quirós, de Orlich Bolmarcich" (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Marita Camacho Quirós". Gerontology Research Group. 17 August 2024. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
  5. ^ "Expresidentes y expresidentas de Costa Rica – Francisco José Orlich Bolmarcich". Asamblea de Costa Rica (in European Spanish). Archived from the original on 22 September 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2025.
  6. ^ "Presidentes de la República de Costa Rica" [Presidents of the Republic of Costa Rica] (PDF). El Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones (in Spanish). 25 May 2015. p. 2.
  7. ^ "José Joaquín Trejos Fernández – Benemérito de La Patria". josejoaquintrejos.com. Retrieved 21 June 2025.
  8. ^ a b Salazar, Luis Ramírez (11 March 2018). "Exprimera dama fundadora de albergues infantiles, Marita Camacho, llega a los 107 años". ameliarueda.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  9. ^ "Una vida distinguida, llena de honor y longevidad". Costa Rica Azul (in Spanish). 11 March 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  10. ^ "VIAJE PRESIDENTE COSTA RICA – Foto – 8000749960". EFE Servicios (in Spanish). 28 March 1962. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  11. ^ "The Presidency: Doin' The Bird". Time. 10 July 1964. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
  12. ^ "La persona famosa más longeva (Costa Rica)" [The oldest famous person (Costa Rica)]. Supercentenarios.net (in Spanish). Latin American Supercentenarians. Archived from the original on 29 June 2021. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  13. ^ a b Lynch, Dudly (10 March 2021). "Ex primera dama doña Marita Camacho Quirós cumple 110 años de vida" [Former first lady Marita Camacho Quirós turns 110 years old]. Teletica (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 28 September 2022. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  14. ^ Roberts, James (17 April 2024). "Investigating "Costa Rica's Oldest Person"". LongeviQuest. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
  15. ^ "'Chepito' turns 121: why is he not in the Guinness Records?". Q COSTA RICA. 11 March 2021. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  16. ^ "Marita Camacho Quirós, oldest Costa Rican on record, dies at 114". LongeviQuest. 20 June 2025. Retrieved 21 June 2025.
  17. ^ Chaves, Fernanda Matarrita (20 June 2025). "Fallece ex primera dama Marita Camacho de Orlich a los 114 años" [Former first lady Marita Camacho de Orlich dies at 114]. La Nación (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 June 2025.
  18. ^ "Longest lived Spouses of National Leaders – Oldests and Lasts". oldestsandlasts.com. Retrieved 21 June 2025.
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