Gilbert had been living in the Sunnyvale area with his son Harold Judy.

"My dad was a great roommate. He was always a kind and patient person, and he lost none of that to aging," said Harold.

Gilbert was still very active for a person who had lived a life spanning three centuries.

He was born on May 12, 1898. His family moved from his birthplace of Illinois to Kansas, where they purchased a large ranch.

In the beginning the Judy family tried farming, but due to the lack of water, farming turned out to be almost impossible.

They turned to cattle raising. This went well until hoof and mouth disease spread through their ranch, killing most of their stock.

Not being quitters, the Judy family started raising cattle again. Gilbert spent many of his days riding a horse along the fence line and making repairs.

He grew up on the ranch and moved to San Diego, where he married, had two children, became a teacher and learned to fish.

"There weren't a whole lot of places for my dad to fish in Kansas, and once he started fishing he just never stopped," said Harold.

During his teaching career Gilbert became the principal for the Hoover High School adult education program in San Diego and was responsible for civil defense training during World War ll.

In his later years Gilbert moved to Sunnyvale to live at the Grossman Gardens Assisted Living Center.

It was only in the last year, after turning 103, that Gilbert had to move in with his son.

"Dad was very independent. But it got harder and harder for him to get around on his own, and in assisted living they can only give you so much help before you need to move to somewhere that will give more care. He made his own breakfast and lunch every day, and I made dinner. Dad did the dishes every night," said Harold.

Longetivity is a Judy family trait. Gilbert's mother lived to the age of 107, and his youngest sister is now 101.

"Dad and I were getting ready to go see her in Kansas when he got sick," said Harold.

"I don't think there was really any big secret as to how my dad lived as long as he did. He ate cereal every morning, a sandwich for lunch and had a piece of toast with every meal he ate. Other than that he ate healthy food and exercised every day," said Harold.

Gilbert lived to see many amazing things in his lifetime. He saw 43 presidents enter and leave office. He saw the new millennium begin. He saw years of peace and years of war. Yet according to his son, he never became jaded or bitter.

Gilbert is survived by his son Harold, daughter Dorothy Imel of Pennsylvania, five grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.