The centenarian, who shared oral histories about her life and was honored for her volunteerism, died peacefully in Maryland on Monday, according to a friend
Virginia McLaurin, the centenarian who went viral for her dance with the Obamas in 2016, has died at 113.
McLaurin died Monday after spending “a few days in hospice,” according to a statement posted on her official Facebook page.
Her friend Deborah Menkart said in a statement that McLaurin died peacefully in Maryland, where her son Felipe Cardoso currently lives, per The New York Times.
Barack and Michelle Obama honored McLaurin in a tweet featuring the viral video of them dancing with McLaurin at the White House.
“Rest in peace, Virginia,” the former president and first lady said on Twitter. “We know you’re up there dancing.”
Rest in peace, Virginia. We know you’re up there dancing. pic.twitter.com/y31XQ8MdPC
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) November 15, 2022
A video of the dance shared on the White House’s Facebook page has been viewed over 70 million times in the last six years.
“I thought I would never live to get in the White House. And I tell you, I am so happy,” she told the Obamas in the video. “And I’m here to celebrate Black history.”
McLaurin grew up as a sharecropper in South Carolina before making her way north amid the Great Migration, according to Monday’s Facebook post.
The centenarian gained attention from the White House after recording short oral history clips about her life, according to a GoFundMe campaign started “to help her family with memorial services.”
She also volunteered as a UPO foster grandparent and advocated for “quality living conditions” with other tenants, the fundraiser says.
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In 2013, McLaurin was honored in Washington D.C. for her volunteer work with students that have severe mental and physical disabilities, according to The Guardian and NBC affiliate WRC-TV. She was 104 years old at the time.
According to Monday’s Facebook post, McLaurin “spent decades volunteering 40 hours a week at schools after she retired.”
McLaurin was also “devoted” to church and watched services “regularly” on YouTube during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the fundraiser.
The centenarian had spent most of her time inside over the last few years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Monday’s statement on Facebook, but continued to connect with her fans and followers on social media.
“She lived an incredibly full life and appreciated all the love she received from people on this FB page and everywhere she went,” Monday’s post said.
Source: People.com