Last Living 1906 Quake Survivor Dies At 109
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- The last person who was alive in Northern California when the San Francisco earthquake and fire of 1906 hit has died.
William A. "Bill" Del Monte died at a retirement home in Marin County Monday. He was 11 days shy of his 110th birthday.
His niece, Janette Barroca of San Francisco, who confirmed his death of natural causes, said he'd been doing "great for 109 years old."
Del Monte was just three months old when the quake struck, forcing his family into the streets to escape in a horse-drawn buck board with fire burning on both sides, Barroca said.
San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee offered Del Monte's family his condolences.
"I am saddened by the passing of Bill Del Monte, a true friend to our City. After being forced out of his home in North Beach after the 1906 Great Earthquake and Fire as an infant, he ultimately witnessed our City's rise from the ashes more than a century ago seeing it rebuilt better than ever. His legacy is a true reminder of how resilient our City is, and he represents the resilience of the people of San Francisco," Lee said in a prepared statement.
"We have not only lost a friend, but also a piece of living San Francisco history in his death, just 11 days before his 110th birthday. I offer my condolences and heartfelt prayers to his family and friends in this time of sorrow."
Ruth Newman was the oldest remaining survivor of the earthquake before her death last summer. She was 113.
Newman was 4 years old when the quake struck in the early morning of April 18, 1906.
Del Monte's father founded San Francisco's legendary Fior d'Itallia restaurant which was destroyed in the quake and ensuing fire.
The family rebuilt the restaurant after the quake and sold it decades later.
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