Portsmouth FC's oldest fan dies holding son's hand after celebrating 105th birthday

"Musical Maisie”, of Fratton, passed away peacefully on January 2 as her son Rob Bartlett, 79, held her hand.

The centenarian singer reached the incredible age on December 21 with a party held for her at community space Spark in Fratton. Maisie was sent a birthday card from Buckingham Palace to celebrate her birthday which left her proud.

Rob told The News: “My darling mum passed away on January 2 peacefully at age 105 as I held her hand. For a while she had had difficulty getting onto her frame and I often had to help her.”

Rob said his weak mum had a fall days before her death. “I heard the bump and came down to find her laying on the floor, not hurt, but I had to put her back to bed,” he said. “She was still all with it but had lost strength to stand on her left leg.”

Paramedics attended and said Maisie was in relatively “good shape” and suggested she go to St Mary’s Hospital - but she refused. “At that point she seemed to be ok and was breathing ok while they examined her. I think the whole thing was a lot for her and she simply drifted off (to sleep) on the sofa while they were there,” Rob said.

“Finally they left while she was asleep having arranged for a doctor to come, leaving her in peace. As the afternoon progressed she remained in a deep sleep.

“Two evening carers arrived at 6pm and we needed to wake her but could not. A different team came by and they said she was actually unconscious but alive.

“After 30 minutes they said she had passed. Most of the family came during the evening as she lay there dead. It was horrible as we all paid our last respects.”

Rob added: “Now I am looking at an empty sofa. I was really hoping she would make 106. Now I am pretty grateful she passed peacefully.”

Since turning 100, Maisie’s birthdays have been regularly covered by The News. She previously said of her age: “I don’t feel any different”, and added that she has done “absolutely nothing” to reach such an extraordinary age.

A native Londoner whose father was a referee, Maisie’s earliest memories included ‘running up and down’ at Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium as a small child. Since the death of Queen Elizabeth II, her lifetime spanned the reigns of five monarchs. Speaking of King Charles III, Maisie had said: “He doesn’t seem too bad really.”

Sharing an encounter with the late Queen, Maisie once told The News: “We were invited to go on the royal yacht. I was with my husband then and we were walking around and my husband was looking at the pictures, the Queen's pictures on the boat.

“The Queen walked up to us on her own and she said: ‘Do you like my pictures?’ We got talking and then I told her that my son was born on the coronation day and she lit up when I said this.

“We had a talk for at least five minutes. When you think about all the people on stage and those who she meets, they only get a little sort of exchange – she came and wanted to talk to us. As the Queen grew up, I was sort of the same age.”

Having lived through countless changes in Portsmouth, Masie said she always “absolutely loved” the city.

The former ballerina and musician lost some mobility following a visit to hospital four years ago which impacted her confidence, but still had a “great memory” right up to her death according to Rob. “She remembers things better than I do most of the time,” Rob said previously.