Iosif Rus, the oldest known living person in Romania, celebrates his 111th birthday

The Gerontology Research Group (GRG) is pleased to announce that Mr. Iosif Rus, the oldest known living person in Romania and the oldest known living man in the the Balkans, celebrated his 111th birthday in Gherla, Cluj County, on 28 October 2026.

Iosif Rus was born in the locality of Ghiolt in Țaga, Cluj County, Austria-Hungary (now Romania), on 28 October 1915, to parents Iacob Rus (1881–1978) and Raveca Rus (1883–1918).

His father was taken prisoner in Siberia during World War I and his mother died on Pentecost in 1918 when he was two and a half years old. He had three older siblings. His father returned from Russia in November 1918 and later remarried, having two more children with his second wife. His stepmother died in 1974 and his father in 1978 at the age of 95.

At the age of 7, he began primary school. In 1927, he continued his studies in Cluj at the Normal School, after passing a demanding entrance exam. He studied in Cluj for 3 years, but in 1930, due to financial difficulties, his father brought him back home to Gherla, where he continued at the Normal School for Boys and eventually graduated.

After the chronological follow-up of the courses, he was practiced in the profession of teaching. On 1 September 1938, he was appointed as a teacher in the commune of Baciu in Braşov County. He worked in this locality until 10 December 1938, from which date he worked at the Gherla Juvenile Correctional Institute.

During World War II, he served in the Romanian army. On 15 May 1940, he was concentrated at the 81st Infantry Regiment in Dej where he carried out training activities until 15 October 1940, during which he attended the courses of a reserve officer school.

The Viennese dictatorship (1940) ordered him to report for duty in the Baciu commune, where he trained until 1942 and was soon concentrated in the 95th Infantry Regiment in Turnu Severin, as a second lieutenant in the reserve. From there he was sent to the Eastern front on the Crimean peninsula, where he participated in the Crimean and Moldavian battles. In 1943, participating in these battles, he was wounded. He was admitted to the hospital in Mykolaiv, Russia, then being transferred to the Military Hospital in Bucharest, Romania, where he received medical care for eight months. After healing, he was concentrated again at the 95th Turnu-Severin Infantry Regiment, where he worked until 1 July 1945, when he was released home.

After World War II, he worked as a teacher for 43 years, during which he never had a single day of sick leave.

He married his wife, Eugenia Ştefan (1923–1988), whom he had first met in her hometown of Ocna Mureş while passing through with the army. They reunited many years later and were married in 1954. The couple did not have children together; Eugenia had a son from a previous relationship. Eugenia died in 1988, at the age of 65. Although he had no biological children, he adopted his wife’s son, who died in October 2024, at the age of 79, and was buried on Iosif’s 109th birthday.

For combat actions on the Eastern Front, he was awarded the “Star of Romania” order, with swords and ribbon, as well as the “Military Virtue” order of the 5th class.

On 28 October 2025, he celebrated his 110th birthday, becoming a supercentenarian. The President of Romania, Nicușor Dan, signed a decree promoting the war veteran Iosif Rus, at the age of 110, to the rank of brigadier general – with one star, in retirement. This is a gesture of recognition of his devotion and courage in defending the country, considering that he fought on the fronts from 1942–1945 in the 95th Infantry Regiment Turnu Severin.

On 3 November 2025, his age was officially validated by the GRG, verified by Daniela-Ştefania Jiman, Dejan Vujić, and Lăcrămioara Frăsineanu.

On 27 May 2026, following the death of 112-year-old Ilie Ciocan, he became the oldest known living man in Romania, and the Balkans, as well as the last known surviving Romanian man born before 1920.

On 14 September 2026, following the death of 111-year-old Paladia Noja, he became the oldest known living person in Romania, as well as the last known surviving Romanian person born in 1915.

On 15 September 2026, following the death of 112-year-old Vitantonio Lovallo of Italy, he became the oldest known living World War II veteran in Europe.

Iosif Rus currently lives in Gherla, Cluj County, Romania, at the age of 111. He’s the third Romanian man to reach the age of 111, after Dumitru Comănescu and Ilie Ciocan.

The GRG extends warm congratulations to Mr. Iosif Rus on his 111th birthday.

LINKS

1. Clujeanul Iosif Rus, cel mai vârstnic român, împlinește astăzi 111 ani!
2. La mulți ani profesorului Iosif Rus! Cel mai în vârstă român împlinește astăzi 111 ani (Facebook Reels)
3. Gherleanul de 111 ani. Cel mai in varsta român, Iosif Rus, a fost aniversat astazi (Facebook Reels)
4. Cel mai vârstnic român, Iosif Rus din Gherla, împlinește 111 ani (YouTube Shorts)