World’s oldest man dies aged 112
The world’s oldest living man, John Alfred Tinniswood, has passed away at the age of 112, his family has confirmed.
Mr. Tinniswood died on Monday at the Southport care home where he had been living.
A lifelong Liverpool football fan, he became the world’s oldest living man in April of this year, following the death of Juan Vicente Pérez Mora at 114.
His family described his final day as one filled with “music and love.”
Born on August 26, 1912, the same year the Titanic sank, Mr. Tinniswood became the UK’s oldest man in 2020. He was officially recognized as the world’s oldest man by the Guinness World Records in April 2024.
A widower, Mr. Tinniswood leaves behind a daughter, Susan, as well as grandchildren Annouchka, Marisa, Toby, and Rupert, and great-grandchildren Tabitha, Callum, and Nieve.
In a statement, his family praised his many admirable qualities, including his intelligence, decisiveness, bravery, calmness in crises, talent in mathematics, and skill as a conversationalist.
These traits were particularly valuable during his military service in the Royal Army Pay Corps during World War Two, where, in addition to accounting and auditing duties, he was involved in logistical tasks such as locating stranded soldiers and organizing food supplies.
He met his wife, Blodwen, at a dance in Liverpool, and they married in 1942.
Susan was born in 1943, and the couple enjoyed 44 years together before Mrs Tinniswood died in 1986.
After World War Two, he worked for Royal Mail and, later, as an accountant for Shell and BP, before retiring in 1972.
His family said he had an ” active retirement”, volunteering as a church elder in Blundellsands United Reform Church where he also gave sermons.
Mr Tinniswood previously told the BBC he been “quite active as a youngster” and did “a lot of walking”, but said he had no idea why he was blessed with such longevity. He insisted he was “no different” to anyone else, adding: “You either live long or you live short – and you can’t do much about it.”
His beloved Liverpool Football Club was founded just 20 years before he was born, and he lived through all but two of the Reds’ 66 top flight trophies – having missed the first two league titles in 1901 and 1906.
He moved to the Hollies Rest care home in Southport just before his 100th birthday, where his kindness and enthusiasm for life were an inspiration to the care home staff and his fellow residents, his family said.
Since turning 100 in 2012, he had received an annual birthday card from the monarch – first from the late Queen Elizabeth II, who was his junior by almost 14 years, and, more recently, from King Charles III.
The family added: “We would like to thank the many people in the UK and across the world who sent well wishes to John on his recent birthdays.
“He really appreciated these birthday greetings and other messages of support.”
“John always liked to say thank you. So on his behalf , [we] thank all those who cared for him over the years, including his carers at the Hollies care home, his GPs, district nurses, occupational therapist and other NHS staff.”
The family have requested any donations in his memory be made to Age UK, or to a charity of their own choice.
The oldest living man on record was Jiroemon Kimura, from Japan, who lived to the age of 116 years and 54 days. He died in 2013.
The world’s oldest living woman, and oldest living person, is Japan’s Tomiko Itooka, who is currently 116.
