Maria Von Trapp Dead: Last Member Of Family That Inspired 'The Sound Of Music' Dies At 99

Maria von Trapp died at the age of 99. She was the last of the singing children portrayed in ‘The Sound of Music.’ She died in Vermont of natural causes. She was the third oldest child from parents Agathe Whitehead and Captain Georg von Trapp. She had 6 siblings; Rupert, Agathe, Maria, Werner, Hedwig, Johanna and Martina. She served as a missionary in Papua New Guinea and never married.

In 1959, ‘The Sound of Music’ opened on Broadway. Julie Andrews portrayed Georg’s wife Maria in the 1965 film which won 5 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. This is said to be her most famous role. Christopher Plummer played the part of Capt. Von Trapp.

Their youngest son Johannes issued a statement after his sister’s death that read “Thank you for your thoughts. Maria had a wonderful life and while we will miss her, the memories of her will live on." She one wrote this in her autobiography stating "Sometimes our house must have sounded like a musical conservatory. You could hear us practice piano, violin, guitar, cello, clarinet, accordion, and later, recorders. We would gather in the evenings to play Viennese folksongs on our instruments with Father leading on the violin." They would have three more children and they were Rosemarie, Eleonore and Johannes. It is said that she had been sick with scarlet fever but overcame the disease.

“An irony to the story is that Maria, the sickly child, outlived all her six siblings,” Rebecca Cassel, executive assistant with the Von Trapp Family Lodge said; and added “She was a wonderful person with a very kind heart. We all loved her.”