Syracuse, N.Y.
The oldest man in the world, Fred Hale Sr., died this week near Syracuse, N.Y., 12 days shy of his 114th birthday. Hale went boogie-boarding in Hawaii at age 95, and was shoveling snow off his own roof at 103. At age 108, he was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s oldest driver. Hale was also the oldest fan of the Boston Red Sox, and one of the few, before this year, who had seen them win a World Series. One of his best days was spent sitting in front of the TV with Fred Jr., 82, watching the Sox claim the championship for the first time in 86 years. “He didn’t need a lot to be happy,” said his grandson Fred III. Hale, who had pneumonia, died in his sleep.
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