Problem With Example 1

Question

1. Mi hermana siempre fue muy responsable, mientras que a mí me gustaba andar de parranda.

Using the preterite "fue" here seems to be wrong. Why wasn't the imperfect "era" used instead?

Answer 1

Without any more context this indicates to me that the sister is no longer alive, or that she is alive and now not responsible.

:) - ian-hill, Apr 1, 2014