Howard Tucker, MD, a noted Cleveland neurologist, late-life TikTok sensation, and a Guiness Record Holder as the “Oldest Practicing Physician,” has died at age 103. 

“We’ve lost our patriarch,” the Tucker family said in a statement. “Howard truly defined what it meant to live each day to the fullest.”

Tucker practiced medicine for more than seven decades, working full time until he was 100, then continuing with medical-legal work and lecturing until early last year, without ever really slowing down. 

A TikTok channel launched alongside a documentary about Tucker attracted more than 100,000 followers and more than 80 million cumulative views, leading to a Webby Award at a May event where he mingled with celebrities including Snoop Dogg and Questlove.

The “What’s Next?” documentary and channel both showcase Tucker’s long-held message that a person should never slow down no matter their age. 

“I am convinced that retirement is the enemy of longevity,” he said in the documentary. “Some people enjoy golf and some people enjoy chess. But I enjoy working in neurology.”

Keyvan Ravakhah, MD, a staff physician with Cleveland Clinic National Consult Services, was a long-time friend and former colleague. He noted that Tucker provided a kind and calm presence to staff, patients, and students while drawing upon a huge well-spring of knowledge and experience. 

“I’ve heard some neurologists described as practicing ‘diagnose and adios,’ but he took time and always saw a patient as an individual person,” he told Medscape Medical News. 

‘A Good Example’

Born on July 10, 1922, in Cleveland, he enlisted in the US Navy during World War II and later served as the chief of neurology for the US Atlantic fleet during the Korean War. 

His residency was completed at Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, followed by additional training at the Neurological Institute of New York, New York City, where he met his wife, Sara “Sue” Siegel, a psychoanalyst. They had four children. 

Upon returning to Cleveland, Tucker practiced neurology for more than seven decades, treating patients at multiple centers, including the Cleveland Clinic, now the Cleveland Clinic Hillcrest Hospital.

Krishan Chandar, MD, emeritus associate professor of neurology at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, crossed paths with Tucker many times over the years, often caring for the same patients.

“Whenever we met, we exchanged ideas; he was just a very nice and decent person,” Chandar told Medscape Medical News.

Chandar added that he followed Tucker’s burgeoning social media career because he, too, has long believed that staying physically and intellectually active are essential to a healthy life.

“I admired him for that, and I think that’s what kept him young. He set a good example for many others,” said Chandar, who himself turns 92 this month. 

Unmatched Experience

Tucker “retired” from the Cleveland Clinic when he was in his nineties, but just a few months later joined St. Vincent Charity Medical Center at the urging of Ravakhah, who was then the hospital’s residency program director and had known Tucker for more than two decades as a “friend, mentor, and educator.”

“He was a very competent, qualified, kind neurologist with a charming personality. I utilized his expertise for my patients and to educate my residents,” Ravakhah said. He said he was unaware of Tucker’s age when he first brought him on board, but that it was irrelevant.

“What he brought to the table was unmatched. In addition to his knowledge, his stories were amazing to me and to my residents. They loved him,” Ravakhah said. 

The feeling was mutual. Tucker noted in the documentary how much he enjoyed working with the residents. “They stimulate my thinking with their young brains,” he said.

Tucker’s grandson, Austin Tucker, a filmmaker who co-created the What’s Next? documentary project about his grandfather with colleague Taylor Taglianetti, told Medscape Medical News that not even the COVID pandemic could slow him down. Despite his family’s concerns about his safety, Tucker continued going to the hospital. 

Austin Tucker recalled with a laugh that his grandfather would sometimes “sneak out of the house.”

“I remember speaking to him one day and he said he was just relaxing at home — but I could tell he was on his car’s Bluetooth, driving back from the hospital,” he said.

In February 2021, Guinness World Records declared Tucker, at 98 years and 231 days old, the world’s oldest practicing physician. Later the following year, the closure of St. Vincent Charity Medical Center left him unemployed — at age 100.

After earning a law degree and passing the bar at 67 — one of the oldest Clevelanders ever to do so — Tucker became a medical-legal expert and a guest lecturer at Case Western Reserve University.

The documentary shows Tucker at 100, continuing to work, regularly exercising on his NordicTrack, throwing out the first pitch at a Cleveland Guardians game, and snowshoeing — a pastime he adopted after a skiing accident at 87 resulted in a broken neck. A fall at 98 caused broken ribs and vertebrae, but neither injury slowed him.

‘Don’t Smoke, Don’t Hate’

Although his lecturing slowed in early 2025, viral TikTok videos highlighting his philosophy on health and wellness led to numerous events and interviews, including an appearance on the Today show, where he told host Al Roker that his popularity on the Internet was a mystery to him. 

But Austin Tucker believed he knew the reason. “We quickly realized there’s a lot of people out there that are looking for inspiration from others who have lived a full and meaningful life, especially younger people who are trying to figure out what they want to do in the world,” he said. 

Tucker remained eager to explore new challenges. In October 2025, he was an invited panelist at the United Nations for the International Day of Older Persons — and around the same time was even considering trying stand-up comedy as a new hobby.

In a June interview with Case Western Reserve University, Tucker noted that the secret to living a long and productive life boiled down simply to, “Don’t smoke. Don’t hate. And don’t retire unless you absolutely have to; there’s still so much to learn.”

Ravakhah said Tucker was a living example, demonstrating that people of any age can continue to contribute to society. “He actually didn’t have anything against retirement from work, he was against doing nothing,” Ravakhah said.

Asked in the documentary about his legacy, Tucker said he just wanted to be remembered for kindness, truthfulness, energy, and good parenting. “That’s it.”

On December 22, 2025, Tucker passed away in Cleveland surrounded by his family.