Woman who inspired Pixar character Mama Coco in Coco dies aged 109

The woman who inspired the beloved character of Mama Coco in the Pixar movie Coco passed away at the age of 109.

The news was confirmed by officials of Michoacan, Western Mexico who tweeted: “I deeply regret the death of Doña María Salud Ramírez Caballero, ‘Mamá Coco,’ a tireless woman and example of life, who was the inspiration for this beloved character who went around the world.”

The cause of her death, however, was not disclosed.

Although the movie creators didn’t confirm if she was indeed the inspiration for the said character, the inspiration for the 2017 movie setting and location came from Caballero’s town and the creators even lived alongside her family for a period of time.

Coco follows a 12-year-old boy named Miguel who is accidentally transported to the Land of the Dead, where he seeks the help of his deceased musician great-great-grandfather to return him to his family among the living and to reverse his family’s ban on music.