Conjoined twins Lori and George Schappell passed away April 7 in the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania at the age of 62, Leibensperger Funeral Homes confirmed.
The twins were recognized as the oldest living conjoined twins by Guinness World Records. The specifics of their deaths were not disclosed, according obituaries posted online by Leibensperger Funeral Homes. They outlived the second-oldest recorded female conjoined twins by nine years.
George, originally named Dori, identified as transgender, as noted in the obituary and reported by Guinness World Records.
Guinness World Records are saddened to learn of the passing of Lori and George Schappell, the world’s oldest conjoined twins.
George enjoyed a successful career as a country singer, whilst Lori was a trophy-winning ten-pin bowler.
Read more about their lives below 👇
— Guinness World Records (@GWR) April 12, 2024
Born Sept. 18, 1961, in Pennsylvania, Lori and Dori, being joined at the skull, shared a unique physical connection, yet they led distinct lives. Dori built a successful career in country music, while Lori became an award-winning ten-pin bowler. In the 1990s, Lori worked at a hospital laundry, adjusting her schedule to support Dori’s international tours, which included stops in Germany and Japan, the Guinness World Records stated. (RELATED: ‘One-In-A-Million Pregnancy’: Woman With Two Wombs Gives Birth To Two Babies In Two Days)
Their independence extended to maintaining their own residence from the age of 24 and traveling widely, often being featured in documentaries and television shows, according to the Associated Press. The possibility of separation was considered but ultimately rejected by both twins, according to the outlet. In interviews, they expressed a strong belief in accepting their life as it was, without surgical interventions.
“You don’t mess with what God made, even if it means you enjoy both children for a shorter time,” Lori said, the outlet reported.