United States’ oldest living man, Vincent Dransfield, dies at 110
The Gerontology Research Group is saddened to report news that Mr. Vincent Dransfield, the oldest living man in the United States, sadly died in Little Falls, New Jersey, United States on 26 June 2024 at the age of 110 years, 90 days. On 29 March 2024, his age has been officially validated by the Gerontology Research Group (GRG).
Vincent Dransfield was born as Vincent Delisio in Paterson, New Jersey, United States on 28 March 1914. He was the eldest child of William Delisio and Dorothy Dransfield. Following his parents’ divorce when he was six, Vincent legally changed his surname to his mother’s maiden name in 1935. Growing up in modest circumstances, he left school after the eighth grade to help support his family, taking up work on a dairy farm at the age of 15, where he developed a lifelong habit of drinking milk, which he partially credited for his longevity.
In 1938, he married Anna Kulick, with whom he had one daughter. A year later, he joined the Singac Volunteer Fire Company, where he would begin a lifelong commitment to firefighting. At that time, the department still used horse-drawn water tanks, and his first firefighting experience was at the Colonial Inn in Little Falls.
Dransfield was elected Fire Chief of Little Falls in 1959, holding the position for several terms in the 1960s. In 1972, he took on the role of Civil Defense Control Director of Little Falls. He remained married to Anna for 54 years until her passing in 1992.
In 2023, at the age of 109, Dransfield gained international recognition as the oldest known active driver and firefighter in the United States. His remarkable health and independence, which he attributed in part to his daily consumption of Ovaltine, garnered widespread media attention.
He became the oldest living man in the United States, following the death of 110-year-old Morrie Markoff on 3 June 2024.
After his death, the new oldest known living man in the United States is 109-year-old Eugene Baltes (born 29 October 1914) of River Grove, Illinois, USA.
