Irini Baroulaki: The oldest woman in Greece died at the age of 119

Irini Baroulaki, who died on Tuesday, had lived in Paidochori Apokoronou in Crete her whole life.

Irini Baroulaki, the oldest woman in Greece, died on Tuesday night at the age of 119.

The municipality of Apokoronou announced her death, emphasising the principles she grew up with and passed on to her children, who were by her side until the end.

The Municipality of Apokoronou, in its announcement, states:

"With respect, we bid farewell to the oldest person in our country, Irini Baroulaki, who passed away at the age of 119. The deceased was born, raised a family and lived throughout her life in our Municipality, in Paidochori Apokoronou. Her way of life and her virtues are models for us and an example to follow. We express our condolences to her relatives and may the soil of the Apokoronio land that will welcome her be illuminated. Her memory is eternal."

Some time ago, Irini Baroulaki underwent hip surgery at the Chania Hospital. The operation went well, and she returned home to her children and grandchildren.

"The hip surgery was performed on the grandmother by two orthopedic surgeons from our hospital. She did tests, which were very good, and on the 22nd of the month, she was discharged", the director of the Chania Hospital, Giorgos Beas, told Zarpa News in January after her operation.

Who was Irini Baroulaki?

As reported by Haniotika Nea, Irini Baroulaki was the second child of a large family with four girls and two boys.

Her genes were good. Her father had died at the age of 107, and her mother had reached 100.

She married Spyros Baroulakis of Stylianos, born in 1911, in 1939.

Irini had five children, three boys and two girls. She raised them with the difficulties and poverty of that time and with her husband's small disability pension.

The secret to her longevity?

She followed a typical Cretan diet with lots of vegetables, mostly greens. She had not been hospitalised for any illness except for a hernia and a broken arm.

Irini was not taking any medicine, and her only complaint was that she had lost her sight for many years and could not see her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

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