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The oldest conjoined twins, Lori and George Schappell passed away at the age of 62 on Sunday, April 7, 2024, at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. The Guinness World Records (GWR) and Leibensperger Funeral Homes in Leesport website confirmed the news to the public on Friday, April 12.
The siblings held the title of the world's oldest living conjoined twins since 2022. But after George came out as transgender in 2007, they also became the first set of conjoined twins of the same sex to identify as different genders.
George was unable to walk due to a condition called Spina Bifida. Lori pushed a wheelchair for him to be able to move around. The cause of the twins' death has not been revealed as of yet.
Lori and George Schappell, the world’s oldest conjoined twins, passed away aged 62
Lori and George Schappell were born on September 18, 1961, in West Reading, Pennsylvania. They were two of eight children of parents Franklin G. Schappel and the late Ruth G. Schappell.
The twins passed away on April 7, at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, according to an obituary posted online by Leibensperger Funeral Homes. They were previously employed at the Reading, Pennsylvania hospital.
The siblings maintained independent lives ever since they were 24, despite being craniopagus twins, which meant they were joined at the head. George had a successful career working as an artist, specifically a country singer, while Lori was a trophy-winning ten-pin bowler.
The information was available on Guinness World Records, as they hold the record for the oldest living conjoined twins. They were nine years older than the second-oldest female conjoined twins ever recorded.
The conjoined twins also appeared on talk shows and in documentaries, for most of their lives and had a cameo in an episode of Ryan Murphy's hit show Nip/Tuck They were also in episodes of various other shows including Jerry Springer, The Maury Povich Show, and The Howard Stern Radio Show.
The pair traveled the world together because George had a successful career as a country singer and performed across the U.S., Germany, Japan, and other countries. Lori, on the other hand, spent her time working at the hospital around George's performing venues.
George was previously named Dori but he disliked that their names rhymed, he got renamed after his idol, Reba McEntire. Later he changed it to George after coming out as transgender in 2007. The two had partially fused skulls, according to Guinness. They shared vital blood vessels and 30% of their brains, mainly the frontal and parietal lobes.
The siblings lived in a two-bedroom flat in Pennsylvania. Despite living all their lives together, they were able to practice separate hobbies. In a 1997 documentary, the pair were asked if they wished to be separated, and George replied,
"Absolutely not. My theory is: why fix what is not broken?"
The twins, Lori and George, are survived by their father, Franklin, six siblings, and several nieces and nephews. They also have an extended family of friends.
