The eldest son of Violet Brown, 117, Harland Fairweather of Jamaica, died Wednesday in their rural Duanvale home. He was 97.
The oldest person in the world is now mourning the death of her 97-year-old son.
The eldest son of 117-year-old Violet Brown, Harland Fairweather of Jamaica, died Wednesday in their rural Duanvale home. He was 97.
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“He had been unwell for some time but we didn't expect him to go like this," caretaker Elaine McGrowder told The Associated Press. McGrowder was one of two caretakers home at the time of his death.
She said they had believed he recovered from his illness, but when he awoke Wednesday morning, he reported feeling dizzy before daying later that day.
After spending most of his life in Great Britain, Fairweather, nicknamed Uncle Alan, enjoyed his days with his mother at their home in northwestern Jamaica, where both he and his mother had been born. The house was passed down from Fairweather’s great-grandparents, and has been in the family for nearly 200 years.
Surprisingly, the 97-year-old is survived by his mother, also known as Aunt V., who is believed to be the oldest person in the world with credible birth documentation.
She was born March 10, 1900, and spent most of her life as a sugarcane farmer. Brown credits her long life to her deep faith in Christianity.
“I spent all my time in the church from a child to right up,” Brown told APTN.
Brown is believed to be the oldest person in the world, according to Gerontology Research Group, a group of volunteer researchers that keeps detailed records on the world’s oldest people.
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She is considered the next to hold the title after the death of Emma Morano of Italy, who died earlier this month. Morano was also considered the last person to be born in the 20th century.
She has not yet been officially declared the world’s oldest person by Guinness World Records, considered to be the official authority over the title.
The organization is still researching different candidates who might be next to hold the title.
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