Gus Villalta, Thought To Be Last Living Golden Gate Bridge Builder, Dies At 98
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS/AP) -- A 98-year-old man who died Tuesday was likely the last living person who helped build the Golden Gate Bridge.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Gus Villalta died at a hospital in San Jose just one day before the 78th anniversary of the bridge's opening.
Gus Villalta, worker who helped build Golden Gate Bridge, dies http://t.co/28TXgbFlPw pic.twitter.com/TrkdKrbrS0
— SFGate (@SFGate) May 30, 2015
His son, Los Banos Mayor Michael Villalta, called his father a humble man.
The Italian-born Villalta landed a job as an electrician's assistant after graduating in the midst of the Great Depression. He was paid 75 cents an hour to pass wire to more experienced workers on the south tower.
He served in the army in World War II and then settled in Los Banos, where he became well-known.
Villalta had a ham radio station, ran Gus' Radio and Television repair shop until he was 88 years old and stopped to talk to friends on his daily afternoon walk through town.
TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report