Allen McCloskey, 92, is officially retiring as a grave digger for Galveston Cemetery in Indiana after 73 years and 75 days on the job. Photo courtesy of Guinness World Records
March 16 (UPI) — An Indiana man who was asked to fill in for the local gravedigger in 1952 is now retiring after a record-breaking 73 years and 75 days on the job.
Allen McCloskey, 92, got his start as a grave digger at Galveston Cemetery in Galveston, Ind., when he was asked to cover the previous grave digger’s shifts for a week in 1952.
The temporary gig, which started with him digging graves by hand, turned into a career, and in 2021 he earned the Guinness World Record for the longest career as a grave digger, with 68 years and 191 days on the job.
McCloskey’s son, Dean, confirmed his dad finally retired in November 2025 after extending his record to 73 years and 75 days of grave digging.
“He was planning on digging for a few more weeks, but after a spell of not feeling well (even though he is feeling better now), we believe he has accepted his decision, both mentally and physically,” Dean McCloskey wrote on a Facebook page dedicated to his father’s work.
