World's oldest man, ‘a role model to us all’, dies in UK

Bob Weighton celebrated his last birthday with the UK under coronavirus lockdown restrictions

Bob Weighton celebrating his 112th birthday. Solent News

Tributes have poured in after the death of Bob Weighton, the world's oldest man, at the age of 112.
He died "peacefully" in his sleep at home in the UK in Alton, Hampshire, from cancer, his family confirmed.

Mr Weighton, a former teacher and engineer, became the world’s oldest man in February when Chitetsu Watanabe of Japan died.

The world's oldest woman is 117-tear-old  Kane Tanaka, who lives in Japan. Guinness World Records is investigating who will succeed Mr Weighton as the oldest man.
The family, who confirmed his death in a statement to Britain's Press Association news agency, said they were grateful he had remained witty, kind, knowledgeable and a conversationalist "until the very end".
"Bob was an extraordinary man, and to the family, not really because of the amazing age he reached," the statement read.

"A role model to us all, he lived his life interested in and engaged with all kinds of people from across the world.

"He viewed everyone as his brother or sister and believed in loving and accepting and caring for one another.

"He had many, many friendships and read and talked politics, theology, ecology and more right up until his death.

"He also cared greatly for the environment.

"The second bedroom in his flat was a workshop, filled with furniture, windmills and puzzles he made and sold in aid of charity, often from bits of wood pulled from skips.

"We are so grateful that until the very end Bob remained our witty, kind, knowledgeable, conversationalist father, grandfather and great grandfather, and we will miss him greatly."

Mr Weighton was born in Hull, northern England, on March 29, 1908, and was one of seven children. He is survived by his three children, 10 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren.

He celebrated his last birthday with the UK under coronavirus lockdown restrictions.