A 106-year-old man who had been the oldest person in Wales for nearly two years passed away on Sunday. Geoff Walker Patrick took the mantle of Wales' oldest man back in November 2020 when he was 105-years-old.
Mr Patrick served in the Royal Army Service Corps in North Africa between 1940 and 1943. He settled in Llay, Wrexham, after the war and married his wife Jean, with whom he celebrated a 75th wedding anniversary in May.
North Wales Live reported that the WWII veteran had been awarded the key to the village of Llay by Llay Community Council.
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Mr Patrick, who was born in Doncaster, then went on to work as a skilled joiner, eventually becoming a foreman and then a manager with Holland, Hannen & Cubitts which was taken over by Tarmac Group Ltd in 1976. Local councillor Rob Walsh said that Mr Patrick's life was "well-lived".
He said: "I was very, very sad to hear the news. Geoff was a great character and a great stalwart, not just for our community, but for our nation as a whole. This was a man who served his country with great dignity and he was an example to us all with his longevity.
"He was very proud to be the oldest man in Wales. He loved life and had a great sense of humour and all that will be missed. It is very sad news but it is safe to say it was a life well lived."
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