Jason Kempin/FilmMagic
Conjoined twins Lori and George Schappell are dead at age 62.
The twins died on April 7 at the University of Pennsylvania, according to their joint obituaries, which were published in Leibensperger Funeral Homes in Hamburg, Pennsylvania. A cause of death was not revealed.
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The siblings, born in 1961, previously held the record for oldest living conjoined twins. They also held the title of oldest identical female conjoined twins before 2007, when George came out as transgender.
The Schappell’s were craniopagus twins, meaning they had separate bodies but partially fused skulls and shared bone, vital blood vessels and 30 percent of their brain, including the frontal lobe and the parietal lobe. They were conjoined by the forehead facing in opposite directions and were unable to see each other, per a profile done on the siblings in New York.
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The twins grew up in West Reading, Pennsylvania before graduating from the Hiram G. Andrew’s Center, according to their obituaries. They were previously employed at the Reading Hospital and participated in various documentaries and talk shows throughout their lives. They also were featured in Ryan Murphy’s FX drama Nip/Tuck.
Though the pair often traveled the world together, they maintained independent lives, including their own residence and hobbies. Lori was a trophy-winning bowler, while George had a career as a country singer.
Despite their independence, Guinness World Records reported that they “always” said they didn’t want to be separated. “Would we be separated? Absolutely not. My theory is: why fix what is not broken?” George reportedly during a 1997 documentary.
The twins are survived by their father, Franklin G. Schappell, six siblings and nieces and nephews.
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