World's Oldest Man Dies at Age 111: 'Always Pursue What One Loves and is Passionate About' Alexander Imich Said
The world's oldest man died on Sunday, June 8, at the age of 111. Alexander Imich passed away not long after being given the title of world's oldest person.
"In my life, I have witnessed the development of flight, the automobile, electrification of nations, the telephone, the radio and television, atomic energy, the wonders of bio-scientific medicine, computer technology, great advances in our knowledge of the cosmos, men walking on the moon – the list could go on and on," Imich said two years ago, according to Chabad.org.
The centurion was born in 1903 in Poland. At the age of 36, he and his wife Wela fled the country in order to escape the Nazi regime. Unfortunately, they were sent to a concentration camp. After being released, the couple immigrated to the U.S., where they lived a happy life. Imich became fluent in five languages and had a doctorate degree in chemistry.
Imich believed that the soul could live on after a body dies and tried hard to convince others of his theory. When he was 92, he edited and published a book entitled Incredible Tales of the Paranormal, which focused on his specific theory.
Imich's wife, Wela, passed away in 1986, and the couple had no children. He lived on the Upper West Side of New York City, where he spent out the last of his days. Rabbi Pinny Marozov of Coney Island often visited Imich in an effort to reconnect him with his Jewish roots. The two men often spent time together, reflecting on Imich's life and participating in Jewish rituals. The practice brought comfort to Imich, who relished the experiences.
"Always pursue what one loves and is passionate about," Imich told Guiness World Records when asked what his motto for living was.
"I don't know, I simply didn't die earlier," he told NBC New York when asked what his secret to living such a long life was. "I have no idea how this happened."
