| Ezra Hill | |
 Hill at the age of 111 | |
| Birth: | 19 December 1910 Baltimore, Maryland, USA |
| Death: | 4 October 2022 Baltimore, Maryland, USA |
| Age: | 111 years, 289 days |
| Country: |  USA
|
| Validated | |
Ezra Edward Hill Sr. (19 December 1910 – 4 October 2022) was an American supercentenarian who had been the oldest known living man in the United States from the death of Lawrence Brooks on 5 January 2022, until his own death nine months later. In addition, he was also believed to be the oldest known living veteran of World War II, and the oldest known living person in the US state of Maryland. He is the oldest man ever to die in Maryland and the first man in the state to reach the ages of 109, 110 and 111. His age is validated by the Gerontology Research Group (GRG).
Biography[]
Ezra Hill was born in Baltimore, Maryland, USA on 19 December 1910. Growing up in Baltimore in the 1920s, he played center field in the Negro Baseball League. In 1937, his mother lent him $50 to open a shoe store, offering the advice: "There are enough doctors and lawyers. You should sell shoes." Naming his business Avalon Shoes and setting up a shop on Gay Street in Baltimore, Hill remained in business for around 60 years before his retirement in the 1990s.
In 1943, at the age of 32, Hill was drafted to fight in World War II, and was stationed in Normandy, France. Speaking of his experiences decades later, he remarked "I saw the greatest military invasion in the world. No one could form an invasion like this but the Americans. If you saw it, you could never forget it."
In spite of his longevity, Hill nonetheless had experienced brushes with death - while serving in France during the war, a military truck weighing six tons mistakenly ran over him, where he recalls hearing the horrified driver telling the doctor he had accidentally killed him. However, aside from injuring his back, Hill managed to recover without any broken bones. After the conclusion of the war, he returned to his hometown of Baltimore and continued his career as a shoe salesman. He married Doris Cooper (born 3 December 1921), who also worked at the store, in February 1948, but sadly they were separated in 1989. She became a centenarian as well and survived him.
Hill's store was frequently visited by prominent figures during the Civil Rights era. When Malcolm X arrived in Baltimore, he advised Hill to "cater to the masses, not the classes." He also crossed paths with Martin Luther King Jr. and Muhammad Ali in the 1960s.
Hill lived independently in Forest Park even as a centenarian, before deciding to move in with his daughter in Catonsville. He also drove until around the time of his 100th birthday in 2010.
Hill became the oldest known living man in the United States, as well as the oldest known living American veteran of World War II, following the death of Lawrence Brooks on 5 January 2022.
Following the death of Bessie Harding on 16 February 2022, Hill became the oldest known living person in the US state of Maryland.
Hill became the oldest known living veteran of World War II, following the death of Mikizo Ueda on 9 September 2022.
Ezra Hill died at the Loch Raven VA Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland, USA on 4 October 2022 at the age of 111 years, 289 days. He was the last known surviving American man born in 1910, as well as the last known surviving World War II veteran born in 1910. His age was validated by the GRG in 2024 with the retroactive date of 30 May 2022.
Gallery[]
References[]
- 2022 validations Gerontology Research Group
- Ezra Hill chats about his 100-plus years in Baltimore
- WWII veteran celebrates 109th birthday with a surprise party
- BCDA proudly notes the 111th birthday to Ezra Edward Hill Baltimore County Department of Aging (Facebook), 23 December 2021
- Ezra Edward Hill Obituary Redd Funeral Services of Baltimore, 4 October 2022
- Ezra Edward Hill Sr., a WWII veteran from Baltimore believed to be the oldest living man in US, dies at 111 Associated Press, 16 October 2022
- Ezra Edward Hill Sr., a WWII veteran from Baltimore believed to be the oldest living man in U.S., dies at 111 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 17 October 2022