Fred H. Hale Sr.

Frederick "Fred" Harold Hale Sr. (December 1, 1890 – November 19, 2004)^[1] was an American supercentenarian. After the death of John Ingram McMorran in February 2003, at the age of 112 years, Hale was recognized as the oldest living man in the United States. In March 2004, at 113, he became the oldest living man in the world, following the death of the Spaniard Joan Riudavets. Hale is verified to be one of the ten oldest men in recorded history, as well as the oldest recorded person born in the state of Maine.

Biography

Fred Hale was born in New Sharon, Maine, on December 1, 1890. His parents, Fred and Nettie, both lived to be 91. In 1910, he married Flora Mooers and later in the same year they had their first child. Hale spent his career as a railroad postal worker and a beekeeper.^[2] In 1979, after 69 years of marriage, Flora died, leaving Hale to live independently for another 25 years.^[3]

When Hale was 95, he visited his grandson in Japan. On their return trip, he stopped at Hawaii, where he surfed for the first time in his life. At 100, he visited Europe with his eldest son Norman and his daughter-in-law in order to visit the locations of his son's military service during World War II. Until the age of 103 he shoveled the snow off of his own roof, and he drove a car until the age of 108.^[4] At 109 he left Maine for Liverpool, New York to stay with his youngest son, Fred Hale Jr. He later relocated to nearby Baldwinsville. After cataract surgeries at ages 109 and 110, he still had unusually good vision for a supercentenarian and continued to play cards until his death. Shortly before his death, Hale and his son moved to Jamesville, New York, where he received media attention for being the world's oldest Boston Red Sox fan when the team won the 2004 World Series, its first World Series since 1918.^[5]

Family

Hale outlived his son Robert, who died in 1918 during the influenza epidemic. He also outlived his daughters Muriel and Carrie. Norman died one month after Fred on December 30, 2004, at the age of 84, and was survived by his brother Fred Hale Jr.

At the time of his death, Hale had nine grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, and eleven great-great-grandchildren.^[6]

Longevity

The Guinness World Records recognized Hale as the oldest licensed driver at 108 years old. According to Fred Hale III, he gave up driving because he found slow drivers annoying, and not due to his age.^[7] Amongst his honors and records, Hale was the oldest retired railway postal worker and the oldest registered beekeeper. He often related the story of his last successful deer hunt at the age of 100 in Missouri.

Hale credited his longevity and lack of arthritis to eating bee pollen and honey every day, along with the occasional nip of whiskey.

Death

Twelve days before his 114th birthday, Hale died in a nursing home in New York City from complications of pneumonia. He was buried in Farmington, Maine. After his death, Emiliano Mercado Del Toro took over as the world's oldest man.

See also

• List of the verified oldest men
• List of the verified oldest people
• List of supercentenarians from the United States

References