BIOGRAPHY

Maurice Butty was born in Ursy, Canton of Fribourg, Switzerland, on 21 October 1912. He was the ninth of twelve children in a farming family. Arriving in France at the age of 5, the family settled in Sermu, a hamlet of Baume-les-Messieurs. Following the collapse of their house, they relocated to Briod. Young Maurice decided to work the land, a choice he would continue throughout his working life. Following in his father’s footsteps in a landslide, Butty became a farmer himself, moving to Briod around that time. He purchased a house in Verges in 1977 to enjoy a quiet retirement with his sister, Cécile, who passed away in 1994. There, he divided his time between hunting, foraging for mushrooms, caring for his rabbits, and, most importantly, tending to his garden.

One memorable anecdote that every local resident recalled was that at the age of 98, Maurice went for a walk and accidentally locked himself out of his home after losing his keys. To get back inside, he stacked a ladder on top of a wheelbarrow and climbed through a second-floor window.

He celebrated his 100th birthday in October 2012, with the municipality and the communal social action center organizing a special celebration at the town hall, attended by his family. He had a deep appreciation for nature and tended to his garden until the age of 100. At the age of 108, he was still living independently at home, receiving assistance from the ADMR for half an hour each day to help with household chores and meal preparation. Daily nursing care was also provided. Despite a decline in his senses—such as hearing, sight, and mobility—he remained in great shape. While he used a wheelchair for walking, he was still capable of getting up and going to bed on his own. He lived at home with his cat, Biquette, and when the weather permitted, he enjoyed taking walks around his property in his wheelchair. At the age of 110, he received assistance from his great-nephew Gilles Butty, who was also his neighbor. Due to hearing loss and cataracts that affected his vision, Maurice relied on Gilles for help. Despite these challenges, he had no significant health problems and continued to enjoy cakes, chocolate, and sweets every day. He did not have diabetes and remained quite lucid.

Maurice Butty passed away in Verges, Jura, Bourgogne-Franche-Comte, France, on 29 December 2022, at the age of 110 years, 69 days.

RECOGNITION

On 1 October 2022, at the age of 109 years, 346 days, Butty became the oldest known Swiss-born man ever, surpassing the record of Pierre Gremion (1902–2012). Twenty days later, he celebrated his 110th birthday, becoming the first Swiss-born man on record to reach supercentenarian status.

Butty’s age was verified by Cyril Depoudent and Flavio S., and was validated by the ESO on 28 November 2022.

At the time of his passing, he was the third-oldest living man in France, after Georges Thomas and André Ludwig.

ATTRIBUTION

* “Maurice Butty a soufflé cent bougies sur son gâteau d’anniversaire” – Le Progrès, 23 October 2012

* “Maurice Butty pourrait être le doyen des Jurassiens” – Le Progrès, 23 October 2019

* “Covid-19 : à 108 ans, Maurice Butty, le doyen des Jurassiens, ne se fera pas vacciner” – Le Progrès, 1 February 2021

* “Un siècle et dix ans : rencontre avec Maurice Butty, doyen du département” – Le Progrès, 21 October 2022

* “Doyen de la région Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Maurice Butty, 110 ans, vit encore à son domicile dans le Jura” – Actu, 22 October 2022

* “Le village de Verges a célébré son doyen : Maurice Butty a 110 ans” – Hebdo 39, 20 November 2022

* “Il avait 110 ans. Maurice Butty, le doyen du Jura est décédé” – Actu News France, 30 December 2022

GALLERY