World’s oldest husband
passes away at 105

Herbert Brown, one half of the Guinness Book of World Records’ oldest couple in the world and a Torresdale resident, died on Dec. 27 in the hospice of River’s Edge Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. He was 105.
His surviving wife, Magda Brown, 101, is understandably upset.
"She’s wondering how he’ll do without her," said Trudy Solarz, the couple’s daughter.
Brown went to River’s Edge following a five-day hospital stay for pneumonia, said Solarz. Earlier this year, he’d had a partial hip replacement.
Solarz described him as "really tough" in strength, yet quiet and gentle in manner.
Herbert and Magda’s bond went beyond 75 years of marriage and their Guinness fame. The Austrian natives survived the Holocaust, arriving penniless in Philadelphia in 1940 with a baby daughter in tow. In 1998 they moved into Harbor View Towers, an assisted-living facility on the 9500 block of State Road, and quickly became popular in the community.
Known as "Herbie" to staff and "Herbala" to his wife, Brown was known for his frequent smile and knack for balloon volleyball. The staff threw a party last May in honor of the couple’s Guinness nod, followed by a bash in October to celebrate the couple’s 75th wedding anniversary.
Toni Heffle, the activities coordinator for Harbor View, remembers how Brown loved to sit on the patio in the springtime, where residents would soak up sun and enjoy books.
"He was special," she said.
Last May, when interviewed for their newfound status as the World’s Oldest Couple, Magda shared her views on the secrets of a lasting union.
"We don’t have fights, we have discussions," she had told the Northeast Times.
Solarz had documented the couple’s life in a film for director Steven Spielberg’s Shoah Foundation, a collection of testimonies by Holocaust victims.
Rough beginnings aside, Herbert Brown only seemed to see the bright side.
"He ended up living a long, happy life," Solarz said.
Services were held on Dec. 30 at the Joseph Levine & Son Memorial Chapel in Trevose. ••