| Jacques Clemens | |
 Clemens on his 108th birthday in 2017 | |
| Birth: | 11 July 1909 The Hague, South-Holland, Netherlands |
| Death: | 7 March 2018 Loverval, Wallonia, Belgium |
| Age: | 108 years, 239 days |
| Country: |  NED BEL
|
| Centenarian | |
Jacques Clemens (11 July 1909 – 7 March 2018) was a Dutch-Belgian centenarian. At the time of his death, Clemens was the oldest living Catholic priest in the world, the oldest living man in Belgium, and the oldest living Dutch-born man.
Biography
Clemens was born on 11 July 1909 in The Hague, Netherlands. He became a priest in 1936 and led the mass in the La Bultia parish in the municipality of Ham-sur-Heure-Nalinnes in Hainaut, Belgium, from 1958 to 2015. At the age of 102, he fell and was taken to hospital. He wasn't sure if he would be able to continue working as a priest, but eventually did. A short time before his 106th birthday in 2015, his health declined a bit due to another fall, though he recovered ten days later. Despite some further health problems around his 108th birthday in 2017, he was said to be happy with life aged 108.
Clemens became the oldest living man in Belgium following the death of 106-year-old Aime Wille on 7 May 2015, and became the oldest living Dutch-born man following the death of 107-year-old Wim Hendriks on 21 March 2016. He died on 7 March 2018 in a hospital in the village of Loverval, Wallonia, Belgium, at the age of 108 years, 239 days. His successor as the oldest living man in Belgium was 106-year-old Gustavus Leclercq (1911-2018).
References
- Oudste man (106) van België overleden (Dutch)
- Nalinnes: Jacques Clemens, doyen des Belges à 105 ans, est prêtre et espère mourir en disant la messe (French)
- 107 jaar oud, 80 jaar priester en nog altijd actief (Dutch)
- 108 ans pour l’ancien curé, doyen du Bénélux (French)
- L’homme le plus vieux de Belgique vient de mourir (French)
| Belgium's Oldest Living Man Titleholders (V • E) |
|
Julien Sterckx • Edmond Van Cauteren • Pieter Hinnisdaels • Clement de Vos • Polydoor Vandersypt • Eugene Naniot • Cesar Dassonville • Lievin Pelfrene • Francois Rygaert • Albert de Selliers de Moranville • Dictus Bomans • Jules-Leo Neijrinck • Emiel Vanderhaegen • Petrus Van de Voorde • Jozef de Koker • Paul Henrard • Louis Marion • Georges Nevejans • Marcel Duguet • Jos de Kort • Jan Goossenaerts • Oscar Coulembier • Aime Wille • Jacques Clemens • Gustavus Leclercq • Maurice Stael • Sylvain Vallee • Jef Smets • Jaak Broekx • Albert Van Raemdonck |