Lena Ray

Lena Marie Ray (nee Williams) (19 January 1902 – 14 March 2011) was a centenarian from New Zealand who was the country’s oldest known living person for a month until her death.

Biography
Born in Inglewood in 1902, Lena weighed only 2.5 pounds at birth and was not expected to live. She was the youngest in a family of four and she often had rheumatic fever and thyroid problems as a child.

Lena married Robert Ray and had a son, Adrian, who predeceased her. She became New Zealand's oldest living person after the death of 109-year old Doris Mackintosh on 11 February 2011, and died 31 days later. 107-year old Maudie Wilson became New Zealand's oldest living person following her death.