It's 100 And Out for Uncle Bob

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It's 100 And Out for Uncle Bob

© 2000

LONDON (Reuters) - Briton Bob Talley reached his 100th birthday, read a congratulatory telegram from Queen Elizabeth, uttered a proud "Yes, I made it" -- and promptly died.

But his sudden departure did little to dampen the celebration -- family, friends and staff at his nursing home in southeast London went ahead with the party as he lay in his bed, British newspapers reported on Wednesday.

"It was a bit of a shock when we were told that Uncle Bob had died on the morning of his birthday," Talley's niece Barbara Barwell told the Daily Telegraph.

"But everyone was turning up to the party... It was great. (Everyone was) dancing with each other and reading his cards with him lying there," Barwell said.

"He knew he had reached 100 and I think he relaxed and just let go," she said.

Buckingham Palace was quoted as saying it was glad Talley had received the telegram.

"Of course it is very sad to learn that he died so shortly afterwards," a palace official said.

-- Uncle Bob (unclb0b@aol.com), December 13, 2000


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