Oughterard, County Galway — The oldest living person in Ireland, Phyllis Furness, passed away on August 12th, at the age of 109 years, 81 days. Her passing was reported by RTE.
Furness was born Phyllis Olwyn Ryder in Newark-on-Trent in England, on 23 May 1915, to parents Herbert Ryder and Betsy Southern. Her father already had three daughters from his previous marriage when he married her mother. They went on to have four children together, Dorothy in 1913, Phyllis in 1915, Frederick in 1917, and Freda in 1928. At some point, the family moved to Sleaford, where she graduated from school at 14.
At the age of 15, she had grown estranged from her alcoholic father, leading her to leave home permanently and move in with her older stepsister. Her parents and siblings all passed away without her knowing. In May 2020, she appeared in a news article in the Newark Advertiser, where she made an appeal to find her sister, Freda, with whom she had lost contact. Unfortunately, the following month, it was discovered that Freda had passed away in 2013.
In 1940, she married John Furness, and gave birth to their only child, Michael, in 1942. During World War II, she was involved in war work in London. In 1981, she moved with her husband to Oughterard in Ireland. They decided to settle in Ireland because her husband was fond of the country and had enjoyed fishing trips there. Following his passing in 1984, she continued to live independently for some time, before moving to Moycullen Nursing Home.
On 17 January 2024, Furness became the oldest living resident of Ireland following the passing of 109-year-old Kitty Jeffery.
LongeviQuest sends our deepest condolences to the bereaved family and friends of Phyllis Furness.
