BIOGRAPHY

Peraza Montore was born in Tekax, Yucatán, Mexico, on 5 November 1914, as the youngest son of Jose Domingo Peraza and Filomena Montore. He had two siblings: Luis Fernando, and Ruben. He relocated to Mérida as a child when his parents were compelled to depart from the municipality in the southern part of the state. This decision was prompted by General Salvador Alvarado‘s orders, which resulted in the execution of several residents who were deemed traitors to the Revolution.

Peraza Montore attended Hidalgo School and subsequently enrolled in a commercial academy, where he specialized in stenography. Later, he pursued studies in Accounting and held positions at Banco Comercial Peninsular, Banco Nacional de México, and Maderas de Trópico in El Cuyo. He also worked at the National Irrigation Commission, which preceded the Ministry of Hydraulic Resources, where he served as a general storekeeper.

Around 1948, he married Rita María Ramirez Buenfil and together they had three children: Beatriz Aracely, Reina Leticia, and Jose Domingo. Sometime after the marriage, the couple immigrated to the United States, where they resided for 16 years and where he served as a chef at the Sheraton restaurant in Pasadena, California, starting with only cleaning vegetables in the kitchen. Subsequently, he was elevated to the role of a salad chef. Upon his return to Mérida, he, along with his wife, established the “Luminarias” ice cream parlor in the Miguel Alemán neighborhood.

Peraza Montore drove until he was 100 years old. His wife passed away in 2016, aged 89, after 68 years of marriage. In 2016, he took part in the documentary “Still Here” (Spanish: Aquí sigo) produced by journalist Lorenzo Hagerman. He was the sole Mexican who shared his life experiences alongside individuals aged over 90 from Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Japan, Canada, Italy, and Spain. As of March 2020, he had 14 grandchildren, 34 great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren.

RECOGNITION

His age was verified by Fabrizio Villatoro, and validated by the LAS on 21 November 2022.

ATTRIBUTION

* “Yucateco de 107 años vive al máximo y con mucha salud” – sipse.com, 3 March 2022

* ““Y aquí sigo”: Abigay Peraza Montore celebra 108 años” – Diario de Yucatán, 12 November 2022

* “Abigay Peraza, yucateco de 108 años, no deja pasar el tiempo” – Diario de Yucatán, 13 November 2022

GALLERY

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