Lori and George Schappell, the world’s oldest Siamese twins, died at the age of 62.
The siblings died Sunday of undisclosed causes at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, according to a joint obituary published by Leibensperger Funeral Homes in Hamburg, Pennsylvania, The Post reported.
Siamese twins Abby and Brittany Hensel at the first wedding dance with Abby’s husband
They were born in Pennsylvania on Sept. 18, 1961, with their skulls partially fused and shared vital blood vessels and 30 percent of their brains, Guinness World Records said of the record-setting couple.
Lori and George became the world’s first conjoined twins to identify as different genders in 2007, when George transitioned to male.
They were also nine years older than the second oldest Siamese twins in history, according to Guinness.
Lori and George, two lives to tell each other about
Despite spending every waking moment of their lives together, the two had very different interests and careers.
“It was very important to Lori and Dori to live as independently as possible,” says their obituary. “Since the age of 24 they have maintained their own residence and traveled extensively.”
Lori could walk while George, who was 10 centimeters shorter and diagnosed with spina bifida, got around in a wheelchair that Lori pushed, according to a 2002 Los Angeles Times report.
Each had separate bedrooms in their Pennsylvania apartment and shared nights in each. They showered at different times and had different hobbies.
George performed all over the world as a country music singer and Lori was an award-winning bowler. Throughout the 1990s, Lori also worked in a hospital laundry room when George wasn’t touring.
They appeared in numerous documentaries and even made guest appearances on the hit medical drama “Nip/Tuck,” playing a fictional pair of Siamese twins.
They never wanted separation
Surgery to separate them at birth was not available when they were born and they were not expected to live more than 30 years.
After birth, they spent the first 24 years of their lives living in a mental institution after their “frightened and confused” parents placed them there, they told New York Magazine in 2005.
But they never expressed any desire to be apart from each other. Throughout their lives, despite their attachment, they could never look at each other.
“I don’t believe in separation,” Lori told The Times. “I think you’re messing with God’s work.”
“Would we be separated? Absolutely not. My theory is, why fix what’s not broken?” said George in a 1997 documentary.
They are survived by their father, six siblings, several nieces and nephews and an extended family of friends, according to the obituary.
Laura Davis is an entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to Broadway, she offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
