the Second World War in 1939, he became a part-time fireman in Bath, dealing with the Baedeker raids. Later in the war he moved to Street, Somerset, where he ran a plumbing company until his retirement at the age of 65. Patch married Ada Emily Billington (1891–1976) at the Parish Church, Hadley, Shropshire on 13 September 1919. Harry and Ada had two children. Denis Howard Patch (1921–1987) and Gordon Roy Patch (1926–2002). Ada suffered a severe stroke in 1976 and died at Wells and District Hospital on 20 September 1976, aged 85. Patch married Kathleen Alice Joy (née Weedon) (1901–1989) at Mendip Register Office on 5 June 1982. Harry was 83 and Kathleen, known as Jean, was 80. Jean died of breast cancer at St Margaret's Hospice, Glastonbury aged 87 on 18 March 1989. Patch's elder son, Denis, was deeply affected by his mother's death and began drinking heavily. Denis died at King's College Hospital, London, in 1987 of cirrhosis of the liver, aged 66. At the age of 100, Patch moved to Fletcher House Nursing Home in Wells, where he found a companion in widow Doris Whitaker (1914–2007). Patch became estranged from his son Gordon, known as Roy, following Denis's death and they did not speak for the last twenty years of Roy's life. Roy died of cancer in 2002 aged 76. Patch's partner Doris died on 19 March 2007 aged 92. Honorary degree On 16 December 2005, Patch was awarded an honorary degree of Master of Arts, honoris causa, by the University of Bristol, whose buildings he helped construct in the 1920s. The University's restored Wills Memorial Building was reopened by Patch on 20 February 2008. He was chosen for this honour as he was a member of the workforce that originally helped build the tower, which was opened on 9 June 1925 by King George V, an event which Patch also attended. Upon receiving this degree, he was recognized by Guinness World Records as the oldest person to have ever received an honorary degree, at the age of 107 years and 182 days. Death Patch died at 9 a.m. on 25 July 2009, aged 111 years, one month, one week and one day. His death came seven days after that of fellow veteran Henry Allingham, the last veteran of The Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) and founding member of The Royal Air Force (RAF), aged 113. Charles