chuck helmke split image

The world has lost a colourful character after the death of the most tattooed senior man, Guinness World Records is saddened to learn.

Charles “Chuck” Helmke (USA) passed away on 12 March at his home in Melbourne, Florida, surrounded by his loving children and heartbroken partner Charlotte Guttenberg. He was 81.

The happy couple shared a love for body art and earned a string of tattoo-based record titles between them.

Chuck became the most tattooed senior citizen (male) in 2016, and his record still stands today.

chuck helmke most tattooed senior man

A whopping 97.5% of his body was covered in inkings.

He also holds the record for most skulls tattooed on the body (male) with 376.

Chuck and Charlotte had matching records, with her being the most tattooed senior citizen (female) with 98.75% of her body covered in artwork.

That same statistic also makes her the most tattooed person living (female) and the most tattooed person ever (female).

Chuck and Charlotte

Charlotte also has the record for most feathers tattooed on the body (female) with 216.

Chuck and Charlotte starred together in our Facebook Watch show Beyond The Record in 2017, when they told us all about their love of body art.

The couple were well over the age of 50 when they first became interested in tattoos, and it was that shared love that brought them together.

Chuck just happened to be there when Charlotte was having her first ever tattoo session, and he helped her through the pain.

He said it was fate that they met that day.

He explained: “She was getting pretty ragged about the sixth hour or so when I wandered in the door and they asked me to talk to her.

“So I sat there and I babbled for a couple hours and I don’t even remember what I said and she got through it.”

When her tattoo session was over, Chuck walked Charlotte out to her car and gave her a peck on the cheek, at which point she told him she was in a relationship.

chuck and charlotte have matching records

But it was a lie.

Charlotte said her husband had passed away and she had decided she didn’t want to have another relationship.

“But by the time I got home I was like, ‘oh my God what did I do? That guy was terrific’,” Charlotte said.

Between them, Chuck and Charlotte spent around 2,000 hours being tattooed.

chuck and charlotte reading together

While they got a lot of attention during their outings together, it unfortunately wasn’t always positive.

But Charlotte says it never bothered them because “it says more about them than it does about us.”

When asked to share some life advice, Chuck added: “The message I like to convey is just be yourself. Do not be afraid to put yourself out there, whatever it may be.

chuck and charlotte show off their body art

“What is the worst that could happen? They don’t like you? So what!”

Our thoughts are with Chuck’s loved ones.