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
A smiling fair-skinned woman with dark hair in an updo, wearing a dark dress and holding a large bouquet
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
(age 113 years, 302 days)
San Ramón, Costa Rica
Political partyPLN[1]
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1932; died 1969)​
Children2
Relatives

Marita del Carmen Camacho Quirós (born 10 March 1911) is a former First Lady of Costa Rica and supercentenarian. She served as First Lady from 1962 to 1966 during the presidency of her husband, Francisco Orlich Bolmarcich. Camacho Quirós is the oldest living person in Costa Rica 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]

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 2025, Camacho Quirós has outlived her husband by 55 years.

First Lady of Costa Rica

On 8 May 1962, Francisco Orlich 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[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 centres.[6] She supported the Hospicio de Huérfanos de San José [es][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]

Longevity

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

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. ^ 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. ^ "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. ^ 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.
  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. Archived from the original on 29 June 2021. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  10. ^ 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.
  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. Archived from the original on 29 June 2021. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
Political offices
Preceded by
Olga De Benedictis Antonelli
 First Lady of Costa Rica
1962–1966 		Succeeded by
Clara Fonseca Guardia