Less than a month after retiring on his 100th birthday, long-time Los Angeles County transit employee Arthur Winston died in his sleep, his family said.
The man co-workers celebrated as Mr Reliable had recently been admitted to a hospital for exhaustion and dehydration, but returned to his home on April 6. He died on Thursday evening.
To his former colleagues at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Winston was more than a model employee known for his energy, punctuality and longevity. He was a legend.
Winston missed one day of work in over 70 years, and that was to attend his wife's funeral in 1988. In 1996, he received an "Employee of the Century" citation from President Bill Clinton.
"He leaves behind a great legacy," said his grandniece, Yvette Chappell-Ingram.
Winston worked at the MTA and its predecessor agencies for 76 years. For decades, Winston reported to work at a bus yard at the crack of dawn to supervise a crew of workers as they cleaned and refueled the region's bus fleet.
"Arthur Winston's life of service will stand as an unparalleled example of dedication to principles, commitment to excellence and pride in the American work ethic," said John Catoe, the MTA's deputy chief executive officer.