Maria von Trapp died on Tuesday in her home in Vermont at the age of 99, outliving all other members of the Trapp Family Singers.
According to Associate Press, Maria von Trapp died much later than her siblings despite being diagnosed of a heart condition during her childhood.
Maria von Trapp's death was confirmed by Marianne Dorfer, a family friend who manages the von Trapp Villa Hotel in Salzburg, Austria. Dorfer said it was nothing short of a miracle that Maria von Trapp outlived her siblings because of a heart condition she was diagnosed with as a child.
"It was a surprise that she was the one in the family to live the longest, because ever since she was a child, she suffered from a weak heart,” said Dorfer. “It was the fact that she suffered from this that her father decided to hire Maria von Trapp to teach her and her brothers and sisters. That of course then led to one of the most remarkable musical partnerships of the last century."
The von Trapp family became famous throughout Europe around 1938 after they escaped Nazi-occupied Austria. They gained more popularity when their story was turned into a feature film and Broadway play.
Country music superstar Carrie Underwood took on the role of Maria von Trapp in a 2013 Broadway adaptation of the 1965 iconic movie starring Julie Andrews.
Maria von Trapp, whose complete name is Maria von Trapp Franziska, was the second-eldest daughter of the Trapp Family Singers. In the 1965 movie, she was renamed Louisa and played by Heather Menzies.
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