World's Oldest Conjoined Twins Lori and George Schappell Pass Away at 62

Conjoined twins Lori and George Schappell, aged 62, passed away on April 7 at the University of Pennsylvania. Their joint obituaries were published in Leibensperger Funeral Homes in Hamburg, Pennsylvania. Cause of death undisclosed, born in 1961, previously held record for oldest living conjoined twins.

They were the oldest identical female conjoined twins until 2007 when George revealed being transgender. The Schappell's were craniopagus twins, meaning they had separate bodies but partly fused skulls, sharing bone, blood vessels, and 30% of their brain, including the frontal and parietal lobes. They were conjoined twins facing opposite directions, unable to see each other, as revealed in a New York profile.

They grew up in West Reading, Pennsylvania before graduating from the Hiram G. High School. Andrew's Center, formerly employed at Reading Hospital, took part in documentaries and talk shows. They were also on Ryan Murphy's Nip/Tuck and had separate lives and interests despite traveling together.

Lori was a champion bowler, while George pursued a career in country music. Despite their success, Guinness World Records noted their strong desire to remain together. "Would we be separated? Absolutely not. My theory is: why fix what's not broken?" - George, 1997.

The twins are survived by their father, Franklin G. Schappell, six siblings, nieces, and nephews.