The world’s oldest living man has died, his family announced Tuesday.
John Alfred Tinniswood, 112, died Monday at the Hollies Rest Home in Southport, on England’s west-central coast.
He was “surrounded by music and love” in his last days, his family said. Susan, his daughter, his grandchildren Annouchka, Marisa, Toby, and Rupert, and his great-grandchildren Tabitha, Callum, and Nieve will miss him.
He was born on August 26, 1912, to Ada and John Bernard Tinniswood during the reign of King George V. He was the grandfather of the late Queen Elizabeth II and the great-grandfather of King Charles III.
He was divorced when he met Blodwen, who would become his wife, at a dance in Liverpool. They got married in 1942 and were together for 44 years, until she died in 1986.
“Many good things about him,” his family said in a statement. “He was smart, brave, decisive, calm in any situation, good at math, and a great conversationalist.”There was music and love all around him on his last day.
“I can not think of any special secrets I have,” he said at his last birthday party. “When I was younger, I was pretty active. I walked a lot.” But I do not see myself as different. Not at all different.
When the Titanic sank, Tinniswood was just over 4 months old. When Arizona became the 48th U.S. state, she was 6 months old. He worked in finance for a living and served in the Royal Army Pays Corps during World War II.
After 114-year-old Juan Vicente Pérez died in April, Tinniswood was officially named by Guinness World Records as the world’s oldest living man. He was 111 years old at the time.
Gisaburo Sonobe, a Japanese man who was 112 years old and used to be the second-oldest living person, died on March 31. On the other hand, Japan’s Respect for the Aged Day in September honored Tomiko Itooka, who is 116 years old and the world’s oldest living woman.
Tinniswood said that his long life was due to “pure luck.”
In April, he told Guinness, “You either live long or you die short, and you can not do much about it.” He said before, “you drink too much or you eat too much or you walk too much; if you do too much of anything, you are going to suffer eventually.”
