BIOGRAPHY

Alf Smith was born in Invergowrie, Perth and Kinross, Scotland, on 29 March 1908, as the second youngest of six sons born to John and Jessie Smith. He attended the local primary school called Invergowrie Primary School and later Harris Academy. In 1927, he emigrated to Canada along with four of his brothers. After five years, he returned to Scotland and began driving lorries for his brother, George.

In 1937, at the age of 29, he married Isobel Harper. The couple farmed in Kinfauns, where they raised two children, Irene and Allan. At the outbreak of World War II, he joined the Invergowrie Home Guard, serving throughout the war before returning full-time to the farm. In 1943, he and his brother George purchased Goukton Farm in Kinfauns, where they farmed until 1970. He officially retired from farming in 1978 but continued to lend a helping hand. He later moved to his home in St Madoes in 1985. His son Allan, who worked alongside him on the farm for 40 years, passed away in 2016. Smith retired at 70 but continued visiting the farm well into his eighties.

Smith was a member of St Madoes and Kinfauns Parish Church, having joined in 1945 after leaving the Free Church. He remained a devoted attendee for most of his life, becoming an elder in 1967. In 2017, at the age of 109, he was presented with a long-service certificate by the then Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the Very Rev Dr. Russell Barr.

Alf gave up smoking his pipe at the age of 80, having been a smoker since he was 17. His decision to quit smoking was prompted by the purchase of a new car, as he was reluctant to stain the interior with nicotine. He continued driving until the age of 96, ultimately giving it up after the passing of his wife, Isobel, in 2003.

At 105, his daughter Irene described him as having a remarkably active mind. He enjoyed doing jigsaw puzzles, completing about one per week, and remained an avid sports fan, regularly watching football, tennis, and golf on television. He even took on a bit of dog-sitting.

In May 2015, when he was 107, he met Jessie Sinclair, then 105 years old (who would later become a supercentenarian herself), and Willhelmina “Neen” Reid (24 September 1911 – 6 March 2016), aged 103. The three of them gathered for a special tea party at the home of a mutual friend in St Madoes, Perth.

On his 110th birthday, Councillor Angus Forbes, on behalf of Perth and Kinross Council, presented him with flowers and a bottle of whisky bearing his name. Lewis Heriot Maitland, Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Perth and Kinross, delivered a message of congratulations from Queen Elizabeth II.

When asked about the secret to his longevity, he replied, “Porridge is helpful and having a job you enjoy. I like to think I’ve lived a decent life. I do ask myself – why me? Why have I lived so long when others haven’t?”

Smith had lived alone in his St Madoes home until a fall in 2016 led him to move in with his daughter, Irene. Two days before his passing, he had another fall and was treated at Perth Royal Infirmary. However, he was back at home with Irene when he passed away early on 4 August 2019, at the age of 111 years, 128 days.

RECOGNITION

Smith became the oldest living man in Scotland after the death of 106-year-old Tom MacIver (13 June 1907 – 18 April 2014).

Smith then became the oldest living person in Scotland following the passing of 109-year-old Irene Chapman (9 June 1906 – 18 December 2015).

Along with Bob Weighton, Smith became the joint-oldest living man in the United Kingdom following John Mansfield’s passing on 27 November 2016. The two never met, but after becoming joint titleholders, they were aware of each other and exchanged cards annually. They also exchanged phone calls, including on their 111th birthday in March 2019. In his card to Smith that day, Weighton wrote: “Another year has passed, and I hope you are both well and able to enjoy the celebrations. Do stay in touch—I wish we had known about each other sooner.” He signed off with, “We’ve made it.” Weighton often said that, although they had never met, he considered Smith “like a twin brother to me.”

Smith celebrated his 110th birthday in March 2018, becoming the first recorded Scottish man to reach supercentenarian status.

Following his death, the title of the oldest living person in Scotland passed to Janet Mackay (1910-2021), while the oldest living man in Scotland became Jimmy Sinclair of Fife (18 August 1912 – 27 May 2020).

Smith’s age was verified by Dr. Andrew Holmes and validated by the ESO on 30 March 2020.

ATTRIBUTION

* “Porridge is Alf’s 105-year old secret” – Daily Record, 2 April 2013

* “Three oldest residents in Perth and Kinross talk about the good old days” – The Courier, 2 May 2015

* “Scotland’s oldest man reveals secret to long life” – The Scotsman, 31 March 2016

* “Scotland’s oldest man marks his 110th birthday in Perthshire” – Daily Record, 29 March 2018

* “‘We’ve done it!’ – Britain’s oldest men exchange messages as they celebrate their 111th birthdays” – The Courier, 29 March 2019

* Obituary: Alf Smith, Scotland’s oldest man – The Hearld

GALLERY