Fans heartbroken as TikTok-famous WW2 veteran Jake Larson dies at age 102

One of TikTok's favorite creators has sadly passed away at 102 years of age, as World War 2 veteran Jake Larson, otherwise known to people online as 'Papa Jake', has died.

TikTok and social media as a whole allows people from all ages and all around the world to create content and share their stories, but there are likely few to have made it big at an older age than Jake Larson.

Sharing his first video in June 2020, the then 97-year-old had the help of his daughter McKaela to start his own account and share stories that he had accumulated throughout his life, particularly in relation to his service during the Second World War.

The account's most recent post, however, was once again from his daughter to announce that Larson - known as 'Papa Jake' to his online followers - had sadly passed away on July 17 at 102 years of age.

"It's with a heavy heart that I have to make this announcement," the post began. "Our beloved Papa Jake has passed away on July 17th at 102 years young. Please know, he went peacefully and was even cracking jokes til the very end.

"At this time the family and I ask for some privacy as we process this loss. I am so thankful to have shared my Papa Jake with you all. You meant the world to him.

"When the time is right, I will continue to share Papa Jake's stories and keep his memory alive. We appreciate all the kind words and posts. As Papa would say, love you all the mostest."

Who was 'Papa Jake'?

If you're a TikTok user then there's a good chance that at least one of Papa Jake's videos has landed on your For You page, as the WW2 veteran managed to earn over 1,200,000 followers and racked up 11,200,000 likes.

His videos easily earned hundreds of thousands of views, with some of the most popular earning upwards of 19 million as he shared many of the memories that he had collected across the century he had spent on Earth.

He regularly shared and read letters that fans had sent to him, and he went on a number of trips across both America and the rest of the world - including even making an appearance in a MrBeast video.

How have people reacted to Papa Jake's passing?

Many users have been left heartbroken after learning about Papa Jake's death, and have shared their responses underneath the aforementioned announcement and across wider social media.

The official TikTok account offered their own respects, writing that "we're deeply saddened by his passing. Papa Jake used his platform to spread kindness and wisdom."

Others wrote similar tributes, declaring that Larson was "our hero," and that his videos were "favorite part of TikTok," thanking his daughter McKaela for sharing him and his stories with everyone.