Marita Camacho Quirós

Marita del Carmen Camacho Quirós (born 10 March 1911) is the former First Lady of Costa Rica when her husband Francisco Orlich Bolmarcich was president from 1962–1966. She is the first person who was a First Lady to become a supercentenarian. Camacho Quirós is the oldest living person in Costa Rica and the oldest former First Lady in the world.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Camacho and the second or maternal family name is Quirós.
Marita Camacho Quirós
A smiling fair-skinned woman with dark hair in an updo, wearing a dark dress and holding a large bouquet
Camacho Quirós, from a 1962 publication of the U.S. State Department
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
(age 112 years, 230 days)
San Ramón, Costa Rica
Political partyPLN[1]
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1932; died 1969)​
Children2
Relatives

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]

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]

As of 2023, Camacho Quriós has outlived her husband by 53 years.

First Lady of Costa Rica

On 8 May 1962, Orlich Bolmarcich became the President of Costa Rica. Upon his inauguration, Camacho Quirós became the First Lady of Costa Rica. She maintained the position until 8 May 1966[4] when Clara Fonseca Guardi succeeded her.

As First Lady, she actively worked for children; promoted children's shelters,[3][5] teaching schools, school canteens, and community centers.[6] She supported the Hospicio de Huérfanos de San José[5] 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,[7] and American presidents John F. Kennedy[3] and Lyndon B. Johnson.[8]

She and her husband left office as very popular and well-liked figures, with her husband being credited for stabilising a nation during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Longevity

On 10 March 2021, Camacho Quirós turned 110 years old, becoming a supercentenarian.[9][10] She has been verified by the Latin American Supercentenarians (LAS) as the oldest living Costa Rican.[lower-alpha 1][12] She is also the oldest known former first lady.[10]

See also

Notes
  1. There was an unverified claimant for the oldest Costa Rican, José "Chepito" Delgado, but he died on 27 May 2021.[11]

References
  1. 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. Goublaye (2004). Viajes a través de mi árbol genealógico (in Spanish). La Paz, Bolivia: Plural Editores. p. 72. ISBN 9789990575552. OCLC 948237007.
  3. 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. "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.
  5. 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.
  6. "Una vida distinguida, llena de honor y longevidad". Costa Rica Azul (in Spanish). 11 March 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  7. Efe, Agencia (28 March 1962). "VIAJE PRESIDENTE COSTA RICA - Foto - 8000749960". EFE Servicios (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  8. "The Presidency: Doin' The Bird". Time. 10 July 1964. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  9. "La persona famosa más longeva (Costa Rica)" [The oldest famous person (Costa Rica)]. Supercentenarios.net (in Spanish). Latin American Supercentenarians. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  10. 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). Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  11. "'Chepito' turns 121: why is he not in the Guinness Records?". Q COSTA RICA. 11 March 2021. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  12. "Las personas vivas más longevas" [The longest living (Latin American) people]. Supercentenarios.net (in Spanish). Latin American Supercentenarians. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
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