Smith, from Perthshire, one of the UK’s two oldest living men, has passed away at age 111, The Daily Mirror reported Sunday. Smith shared his birthday with Weighton, who now carries the title on his own. The two were born on March 29, 1908.
The two men celebrated their 111th birthday in March this year. Although they never met, the two took to sharing birthday cards, the BBC report says.
Britain's joint oldest man Alfred Smith dies aged 111 as tributes flood in - https://t.co/rAPHAX7T91 pic.twitter.com/x1mS8Tetig
— Fourteen (@_Fourteen_) August 4, 2019
Smith was a man of constant optimism, the Mirror report says, buying a new washing machine for his 100th birthday and opting for a 10-year warranty.
Earlier in April, Smith, who worked through most of his life as a farmer, talked to the Daily Record, and disclosed that his long life was due primarily to “porridge, of course.”
“I like my porridge and I eat it every day. That is helpful, and having a job you enjoy,” he said in an interview before switching to more serious matters. “I like to think I’ve lived a decent life. I do ask myself - ‘why me? Why have I lived so long when others haven’t?’"
The title of the UK’s oldest man now rests on Weighton. A former teacher and engineer, Weigton has long quipped that the secret to his longevity was to “avoid dying.”
Britain's oldest man, Robert Weighton, is celebrating his 109th birthday today! 🎊🍰🎉🎁🎈 https://t.co/aSNwSGtcsm pic.twitter.com/zlIJdWy9y1
— Age UK (@age_uk) March 29, 2017
Speaking in an interview in March, Weighton noted that the world had changed “enormously” during his lifetime, but observed that people - at their core - remain the same.
"The basic concerns of human beings [are] exactly the same - 'can this person be trusted?'" he added.
Weighton is not the oldest human in the UK, however. That title goes to Hilda Clulow, born 15 March 1908, two weeks earlier.
