Tom Leppard
Tom Leppard | |
|---|---|
| Born | Thomas Wooldridge 14 October 1935 |
| Died | 12 June 2016 (aged 80) |
| Nationality | English |
| Other names | Leopard Man, Leopard Man of Skye, |
| Occupation | Soldier |
| Known for | Formerly being considered by Guinness World Records "The World's Most Tattooed Man" and "The World's Most Tattooed Male Senior" |
Tom Wooldridge, better known as Tom Leppard and also as Leopard Man or the Leopard Man of Skye, (14 October 1935 – 12 June 2016) was an Englishman who was noted for previously being considered by Guinness World Records to be the world's most tattooed man and later recognized as the most tattooed senior citizen.
He is said to have spent £5,500 on his extensive body modifications, which covered his skin nearly entirely with a leopard-like colored pattern. He stated he did not feel any affiliation with leopards, and selected spots solely because they were easy for tattoo artists to do on a grand scale. Leppard was a Roman Catholic.
Leppard, a soldier spent 28 years’ in the armed forces, including stints with the Royal Navy and then as a color sergeant in the Rhodesian Special Forces, he moved from London to a small derelict bothy (hut) without amenities on the Isle of Skye, Scotland, where he lived for the next 20 years as a hermit until 2008. He would travel by kayak to the mainland to buy supplies and pick up his pension and groceries once a week. He then moved to a larger house in Broadford, Skye, followed by sheltered accommodation in a retirement home on the outskirts of the city of Inverness.