Igor died of heart disease aged 38
Igor Vovkovinskiy, the tallest man in America, has died of heart disease at the age of 38.
Vovkovinskiy, who was born in Ukraine, was being treated at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, but died on 20 August.
His mother, Svetlana Vovkovinska, shared the news in a Facebook post and said that despite the pain Igor was in, he remained positive until the very end. She said Igor's older brother, Oleh was with him when he passed.
"His last dinner was: a piece of Kyiv cake and Fanta. A few hours before his death, he was accompanied by Oleh's wife Alla and children," she wrote.
"Igor was glad to see them, and although it was difficult for him to speak, he tried to joke about his nephew Andriy, whether he had learned the Ukrainian language in a month in Ukraine."
When Igor was 27, he was declared America's tallest living person by the Guinness World Records at a lofty 7ft 8in tall.
Oleh told the
Star Tribune of Minneapolis that Igor had been a minor celebrity when he first moved to the US because of his height. He even made an appearance at Eurovision in 2013 as he carried the Ukrainian contestant onto the stage.
https://twitter.com/michaelusher/status/1430068533786939395
But Oleh said his brother would "have rather lived a normal life than be known".
Related links:
Manchester City are apparently going after the tallest outfield player in Britain
Peter Crouch answers stupid questions on what it’s like being so tall
Mum gives birth to huge two-foot-tall baby who is one of heaviest in UK history
Igor lived with his mother in a house with special cathedral ceilings. Because of his height, Igor was never able to achieve his dream of becoming a lawyer.
He had also previously spoken about his desire to just "do simple things like maybe go window shopping at a mall."
A memorial service is due to be held at Ranfranz and Vine Funeral Homes in Rochester at 2pm on Saturday (28 August).
