Bucharest centenarian, among world’s five oldest men

Dumitru Comânescu, a Bucharest resident who is 111 years and 3 months old, has been declared “the oldest Romanian citizen of the city of Bucharest” by the census and records department of the Domestic Affairs Ministry.

The Bucharest City Hall awarded him RON 5,000 (EUR 1,046) and an honorary plaque as “an homage to his life and the contribution to the development of society and to the community of the city of Bucharest and as a show of respect and appreciation for Bucharest seniors.”

Comânescu was born on November 8, 1908, in Proviţa de Jos, Drăgăneasa commune, in Prahova county. He used to work as an agricultural engineer and phytopathologist, and was a disciple of Gheorghe Ionescu Siseşti, the founder of the Agriculture Research Institute. He initially studied at the Mathematics Faculty, and had among his teachers well-known Romanian mathematician Gheorghe Ţiţeica. He later found his calling in working in agriculture. He graduated from university in 1933 and worked for 70 years. In 2003 he performed his last phytopathology assessment. When he was 86 years old he took part in a competition for agriculture experts, where he finished fifth.

He is currently considered the fourth oldest man in the world according to the "Ten oldest living men" chart by Gerontology.wikia.org.

The oldest man in the world is Japan resident Chitetsu Watanabe, who is to turn 113 years old on March 5. He was recognized as the oldest man in the world by Guinness World Records. The oldest person in the world is also from Japan. She is Kane Tanaka, and turned 117 years old on January 2 of this year.

(Photo: Centrul pentru Seniori al Municipiului Bucuresti Facebook Page)