Oldest American, '114 years young,' dies in N.J.
PITTSTOWN, N.J. — Adele Dunlap, a lifelong New Jersey resident and the oldest person in America, died this week at age 114.
She died just two months after marking her birthday with staff and friends at the Country Arch Care Center in Pittstown, where she had lived since age 99.
"She was there for 14 years. She had friends and a lot of activities. The only problem was most of her friends, they all started to die," said her son, Earl Dunlap Jr., in a phone interview.
Dunlap visited her weekly at the center, bringing her books and newspapers and telling her about family members, and what they were up to in their lives. But in the last year, she had lost her hearing, so they'd just sit together. "We expected she wouldn’t live forever, even though she was the oldest person in America," said Dunlap, who described his mom as a person who made friends easily, loved to talk and was strict about her kids' schoolwork.
There are believed to be several hundred "supercentenarians" — a person older than 110 — in the world. The oldest person in the world, according to the Gerontology Research Group database, is an Italian woman, Emma Morano-Martinuzzi, who marked her 117th birthday on Nov. 29. The next-oldest American — and 15th oldest person in the world — is Delphine Gibson, who was born Aug. 17, 1903, according to the database. Gibson, who was born in South Carolina, lives in Huntingdon County in central Pennsylvania. The second-oldest spot had been held by Meta Dishman of Virginia, who turned 113 on June 1, but she died Jan. 20.
Dunlap moved up to oldest American when Goldie Michelson of Worcester, Mass., died on July 8, one month shy of her 114th birthday. She said at the time that being the oldest American didn't make her feel any different.
Adele Dunlap was born in Newark on Dec. 12, 1902. The former Adele Henderson taught school briefly in Kearny and raised her three children in Short Hills. Her husband, Earl Dunlap Sr., who worked in insurance, died in 1963.
When she was on her own, she lived at the Jersey Shore and belonged to several senior organizations. She also enjoyed theater parties, luncheons, and trips with her senior friends, according to her obituary, published by the Martin Funeral Home in Clinton.
Before moving to Country Arch, she lived in Clinton with her son Earl and daughter-in-law Barbara.
Dunlap celebrated her 114th birthday on Dec. 12 at Country Arch, where residents and staff serenaded her and gave her a bouquet of balloons. At that party, she declared that it was her 105th birthday — and staff and family said it was her habit to shave about a decade off her age.
In a Facebook message, the staff at Country Arch Care Center expressed condolences to the family of "our beloved resident Adele Dunlap."
"Adele was an amazing, caring, compassionate, witty lady who became The 'Oldest Living American' following her birthday in December," they wrote. "She had just turned 114 years young. Adele will be sadly missed and was an inspiration to us all."
In addition to her husband, Dunlap was predeceased by daughter Carol Ann and grandson Robert.
She is survived by son Earl and daughter-in-law Barbara Dunlap of Clinton; son Jimmy and daughter-in-law Janet Dunlap of Florida; grandchildren Earl Jr., Sue, Chris, Peter, Hillary and Katie; and 15 great-grandchildren and three great-great grandchildren.
Her funeral will take place Friday at 11 a.m. at Immaculate Conception Church in Annandale, with burial in Gate of Heaven Cemetery in East Hanover.
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