Husband of world's longest-married couple dies at 106 after almost 85 years of marriage

One half of the world’s longest-married couple has died, Guinness World Records is saddened to learn.

Manoel Angelim Dino (Brazil), who held the record for longest marriage for a living couple (different sexes) alongside his wife Maria de Sousa Dino, passed away on 20 October at the age of 106 years and 95 days, LongeviQuest reports.

Maria is 102 and they had been married for nearly 85 years.

We announced in February that the couple had claimed the record with 84 years and 77 days of wedded bliss behind them.

They tied the knot back in 1940 at a chapel in Boa Ventura in Ceará, Brazil.

Both working in agriculture for their families, they met in 1936, but it was a few years later that they entered into a relationship.

Manoel said it was love at (sort of) first sight when he and Maria came back into each other’s lives in 1940.

Find more amazing stories about the world’s oldest people on our dedicated Human Body News page.

He declared his feelings for her and she agreed to go on a date with him.

Her mother wasn’t as into the idea though, and was initially against the idea of them starting up a relationship.

But he soon won Maria’s family over and they were married before the year was through.

They built a life together, cultivating rolled tobacco to sell in order to support their growing family.

They went on to welcome 13 children, 55 grandchildren, 54 great-grandchildren, and 12 great-great-grandchildren.

Maria said the secret to their long marriage was very simple – love.

Rest in peace, Manoel.

Pictures courtesy of LongeviQuest and Manoel’s family