The world's oldest conjoined twins have died at age 62. Lori and George Schappell died on April 7 at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, according to their obituaries provided online by the Leibensperger Funeral Homes. Guinness World Records also confirmed the deaths in an announcement.
''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,'' GWR wrote in a post on X.
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The pair, who were 62 years and 202 days old, held the record for the oldest living conjoined twins, according to the Guinness World Records website.
Born on September 18, 1961, Lori and George had partially fused skulls and shared vital blood vessels and 30% of their brains. Despite being joined at the head, the twins differed in many ways and had different careers.
George enjoyed a successful career as a country singer, whilst Lori was a trophy-winning ten-pin bowler. Lori also worked at a hospital laundry for several years during the ‘90s, arranging her schedule around George's gigs, which took them worldwide to countries including Germany and Japan.
They also became the world's first same-sex conjoined twins to identify as different genders in 2007 when George started presenting as a man after revealing himself to be transgender.
The twins lived independently in a two-bedroom apartment in Pennsylvania. They each had their room – alternating nights spent in each one – and tried to live their lives as far as possible. They took turns practising their separate hobbies and said they effectively ‘zoned out' when in each other's room.
In a 1997 documentary, the twins said they had different bathing schedules and showered one at a time. They used the shower curtain as a barrier while one showered and the other stood outside the bath.
They also expressed how they never want to be separated. "Would we be separated? Not. My theory is: why fix what is not broken?" George had said.
Lori and George are survived by their father, six siblings, several nieces and nephews, and an extended family of friends.
