The world’s oldest man died just weeks before his 115th birthday, Guinness World Records announced Wednesday.
Juan Vicente Pérez Mora held the title of oldest living man for only a few years. Guinness awarded him this distinction on February 4, 2022, when he was 112 years and 253 days old, after the death of Saturnino de la Fuente García a few weeks earlier. He was the fourth oldest verified living person in the world and is believed to have been the only living man born before 1911.
At the time, he attributed his longevity to “hard work, rest during vacations, going to bed early, drinking a glass of aguardiente every day, loving God and wearing it always in his heart. Faith was at the heart of his life and he prayed at least twice a day, he told Guinness World Records: “He wants to be remembered as a hardworking man, faithful to his wife and his religion.”
Pérez was born on May 27, 1909 in Venezuela to Euquitio Pérez and Edelmira Mora and was living in the state of Táchira when he died. Governor Freddy Bernal said the“with deep sadness and pain we say goodbye to this archetype of the Tachirense man, humble, hardworking, peaceful, enthusiastic for family and tradition”.
He had 11 children – six sons and five daughters – with Ediofina del Rosario García. They were married for 60 years. Pérez had 42 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren and 12 great-great-grandchildren. From the age of 5, he began working in agriculture. Pérez only went to school for a few months, but he learned to read and write. In 1948, he became sheriff of the town of Caricuena, where he resolved land and family disputes for ten years.
President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela also paid tribute to Pérez on social media, writing: “Juan Vicente Pérez Mora transcended eternity at 114 years old. I send my hugs and condolences to his family and to all the residents of El Cobre, in the state of Táchira. . May God receive him in his holy glory.
The gerontology research group said it is currently working to find the world’s oldest living man. The contenders are the Japanese Gisaburō Sonobe, born November 6, 1911, or the Brazilian Josias de Oliveira, born October 21, 1911. Both dates of birth must be confirmed before the title can be awarded, the group said.
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