BIOGRAPHY

Corio was born into an Italian American family in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA, on 22 February 1912, as one of nine children born to parents George and Elizabeth Corio. He had four brothers—George, Frank, Charlie, and Tony—and two sisters, Ann and Rose. During his teenage years, he was involved in various sports and often played pool at a local club with Frank Sinatra, who grew up in nearby Hoboken. They knew each other from their youth.

Corio worked in construction and trucking for a time before finding a position at Becton Dickinson Medical Supply Company, where he remained until his retirement. He was not drafted during World War II due to an injury. In 1956, he married Margaret Strafaci, and the couple eventually had two sons, Phillip and Ron. The family settled in Nutley, New Jersey, where they raised their sons. Shortly after the passing of his wife in 2000, Corio moved to New Mexico to live with his son Ron and his grandchildren, where he spent the next 21 years.

Corio pursued carpentry as a hobby, so his son Ron set up a wood shop at Array Technologies (the company Ron founded in 1979), where Corio worked daily until 2019, crafting items like cutting boards and cabinets. In April 2019, he experienced a mild stroke, which made many of his previous activities, including woodworking, more challenging and affected his ability to engage in fluid conversations. After celebrating his 100th birthday, he was asked to share his secret to longevity. His response was, “Eat your greens and don’t smoke.” A few years later, he added, “Just keep breathing.”

In early March 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he developed a severe sore throat and cough, which was accompanied by vomiting. On 13 March, he fainted in the bathroom of his son’s house. When his son found him, he was awake but unable to speak, prompting him to call for an ambulance. He was diagnosed with pneumonia and treated with antibiotics, returning home after three days.

His younger sister, Rose M. Corio (23 October 1917 – 28 March 2022), lived to be 104 years, 156 days old. He outlived her by just three days.

Philip Corio passed away in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, on 31 March 2022, at the age of 110 years, 37 days.

RECOGNITION

In February 2022, he celebrated his 110th birthday, becoming the first documented male supercentenarian in New Mexico.

At the time of his passing, he was the oldest (known) living person in the U.S. state of New Mexico.

His age was verified by Eli Logan, and validated by LongeviQuest on 4 April 2025.

ATTRIBUTION

* “Is New Mexico man the world’s oldest COVID-19 survivor?” – Las Cruces Sun-News, 11 May 2020

* “Oldest US coronavirus survivor, 108, says it was no worse for him than regular flu” – Metro, 13 May 2020

* “Nutley Commissioners Honor Nutleyite Philip D. Corio’s 110th Birthday with Proclamation” – TAPinto, 12 February 2022

* “Philip D. Corio obituary” – S.W. Brown & Son Funeral Home, INC. (Nutley, NJ)

GALLERY