Morrie Markoff, recognized as the oldest living man in the US passed away at the venerable age of 110 on June 3 in his Los Angeles residence after suffering two strokes. People who live to be 110 or older are considered supercentenarians, and there are only around 150 of them around the world. Markoff was an exceptionally rare supercentenarian who exhibited astonishing clarity of mind even after more than 11 decades, actively engaging with current affairs and chronicling his experiences through a personal blog and an autobiography, "Keep Breathing: Recollections From a 103-Year-Old."
Morrie Markoff, a supercentenarian blogger and scrap-metal sculptor who was believed to be the oldest man in the U.S. and whose brain has been donated for research on what is known as super-aging, died on June 3. He was 110. https://t.co/rdhtPJ9ue0
— The New York Times (@nytimes) June 12, 2024
Markoff's odyssey began on January 11, 1914, in a cramped tenement in East Harlem, New York City, merely six months before the outbreak of the First World War. Born to Russian parents Max and Rose Markoff, Jewish immigrants from Russia, his formative years were marked by destitution and hardship. Surmounting the challenges of his impoverished childhood, including the devastating Spanish Flu pandemic that claimed his brother's life, Markoff pursued formal education through the eighth grade before receiving training as a machinist.
In the late 1930s, Markoff ventured to Los Angeles, securing employment with a vacuum cleaner company where he met and later married his lifelong companion, Betty Goldmintz, on Nov. 4, 1938. His resilience was further tested during World War II when he contributed to the war effort as a machinist for a defense contractor, manufacturing artillery shells. After the war's conclusion, he and a business partner established a series of small-appliance enterprises in Los Angeles.
However, it was a fortuitous encounter with a broken copper float while repairing a toilet in 1960 that ignited Markoff's passion for sculpting. Recognizing its resemblance to a ballerina's tutu, he transformed the float into a sculpture, embarking on an artistic journey. At the centenarian age of 100, he held his inaugural gallery exhibition in Los Angeles. As the years progressed, Markoff's remarkable longevity and cognitive vitality captured the attention of researchers studying "super-aging."
Markoff attributed his exceptional lifespan to a combination of factors, including regular walking, adhering to a simple diet, and abstaining from alcohol and plastic water bottles, according to his daughter who spoke with the New York Times. Throughout his extraordinary journey, he defied the odds, overcoming adversity, and embracing life with an indomitable spirit. His legacy serves as an inspiration, reminding us of the remarkable potential for human resilience and the pursuit of knowledge that can unlock the secrets of longevity and cognitive well-being.
