Morrie Markoff, believed to be the oldest living American male, passed away at his home in Los Angeles this week at the remarkable age of 110.
Born in 1914 to Jewish Russian immigrant parents in a New York housing project, Morrie’s longevity defied the odds. After an eighth-grade education, Markoff trained as a machinist and moved to Los Angeles in the early 1930s.
Morrie lived through eras of American history few can remember – experiencing the Great Depression as a young man before working for defense contractors during World War II. He survived the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic that claimed the life of his own brother. Morrie married his wife Betty in 1938, and the couple remained together for over 80 years until her passing in 2019.
In his advanced years, Markoff remained lucid and active up until the very end. After turning 100, he took up blogging and authored a memoir titled “Keep Breathing: Recollections from a 103-year-old” in 2017. He even saw his scrap metal sculptures exhibited at an LA gallery.
Morrie’s brain has reportedly been donated to NeuroBioBank, likely to become the oldest ever studied without cognitive decline.
While not the oldest person ever, Morrie was widely believed to be the oldest man in the US at the time of his death. The Guinness World Records 2024 listed a 111-year-old Englishman as the world’s oldest living male as of April.
With his passing, the Jewish community and the world at large has lost a living bridge to the early 20th century and a humble embodiment of a dying generation’s perseverance and longevity.
Incredible man. Certainly, eriting a book at 103 years old helped his brain stay active 😊
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